Finishing a Basement in Wisconsin &
Northern Illinois including Rockford, Belvidere
Finishing your basement can increase the living space and value of your home.
Badger Basement Systems has seen thousands of finished and unfinished basements with water problems ranging from dampness to all-out flooding in Wisconsin and Illinois. If you are going to finish your basement, this is what we recommend to prepare it properly. If you already have finished your basement, the majority of these precautions can still be made.
- Install an effective waterproofing system.
- Install a reliable sump pump with alarm and back-up system.
- Guard against floods from frozen sump discharge lines.
- Install a vapor barrier on the walls before you put up finished walls.
- Keep the floor warm, dry and comfortable.
- Protect against common plumbing leaks that ruin your finished basement.
- Inspect your basement windows.
- Dehumidify the space.
- Install emergency exit windows.
- Perform some basic exterior maintenance.
1. Install an Effective Waterproofing System
If
you've had any evidence of ground water seepage or currently get water
in the basement when it rains in Wisconsin or Illinois, then it needs a
quality basement waterproofing system like WaterGuard 
, DryTrak or other options available from Basement Systems. Basement water
problems never get better, they only get worse as the house ages and
the drains and coatings that protected the house fail. Therefore, even
if water seepage is a once-a-year occurrence, it needs to be fixed
before the basement is finished, as flooding is likely to be more
frequent in the future. Some cautious homeowners put in such a system
even if they have not had seepage, just in case. This makes sense from
the stand point that these systems are far easier to put in a basement
that is unfinished than one where finished walls and floor coverings
restrict access afterward. It is also highly recommended that this
system be installed around the entire perimeter of the basement.
2. Install a Reliable Sump Pump with Alarm and Back-up Systems
Before investing in finishing your basement, you should have the best sump pump protection
available to guard your home against flooding from primary pump
failure, pump overload from torrential rains, and power failure. Badger
Basement Systems installs the TripleSafe sump pump system stands ready with primary and secondary AC-powered pumps and a
third battery-operated backup pump in a single airtight sump liner.
The TripleSafe system automatically pumps out water in the event that
the power goes out or the primary pump mechanically fails to operate.
Without this triple protection, your finished basement is only one pump
or power failure away from a flood. Ensure a dry basement all the time
with triple protection – before you invest in it.
If you do not
have a TripleSafe pump system and have a Basement Systems' SuperSump
instead, at the very minimum you should have an UltraSump back-up
pumping system and a WaterWatch Alarm. The UltraSump (standard with a
TripleSafe system) is a battery-operated back-up pumping system with a
DC pump installed in the same sump hole, a battery, and a charging
system. The UltraSump will pump up to 7000 gallons of water out of your
basement in the event of the primary pump failing for any reason
including power outages. A WaterWatch Alarm is standard on all Basement
Systems pump systems and will sound off to alert you to pump failure
before your floor gets wet.
3. Guard Against Floods from Frozen Sump Discharge Lines
Snow
and ice can block the opening of your sump pump discharge line and
cause it to freeze. When this happens the water from your sump will not
be able to get out, causing a potential flooding situation. Basement
Systems IceGuard , which is standard on most systems, will prevent this problem automatically.
4. Install a vapor barrier on the walls before you put up finished walls
Water
vapor can pass through basement walls and contribute to a higher
humidity level in the basement. Installing a sheet of plastic,
preferably a high-quality, extra-durable one will direct water seepage
down to the drainage system below and keep it off of the studs and
sheetrock or paneling. It will also keep water vapor from getting into
the basement environment and lower the humidity levels. It is important
that the vapor barrier be tucked into the drainage system below if one
exists. The top of the vapor barrier should be caulked to the top of
the wall.
Even better, you can install a vapor-proof drainage sheet on the walls that will insulate, such as Basement Systems' ThermalDry WALL System, which reflects 97% of the heat back into your basement saving
you money on energy bills and creating a drier environment.
5. Keep the floor warm, dry and comfortable
After
addressing any possible leakage problems in the basement, the next
thing to eliminate is water vapor from coming through the concrete
floor. Because concrete is porous, water vapor will slowly and
continuously travel up through it. If you lay a carpet on top of the
concrete floor, this moisture gets trapped under the carpet and causes
odors, mold and rot in the carpet.
Basement Systems' solution is a ThermalDry Basement Floor Matting system.
The tiling system consists of a specially engineered polypropylene,
17-inch tongue-&-groove square tile that, unlike systems that use
wood, is totally water and vapor proof and will not inhibit mold. The
unique grid design on the bottom of the tile creates an air space that
insulates the floor and does not cause water vapor to condense. The
installation takes away only 3/8'' of precious ceiling height in the
basement, instead of 4'' for other methods.
6. Protect against common plumbing leaks that ruin your finished basement
Any
water leakage, whether it is from the ground or not, will have the same
damaging effect on your finished basement. Basement Systems has easy
solutions for the two most common domestic water leaks, which we see
all the time:
Water
Heater Leaks: The average life of a water heater is seven years, and
when they fail, they usually leak and flood the basement. Basement
Systems FloodRing is the solution. The FloodRing will contain water
seepage and drain it to the waterproofing system when the water heater
leaks.
Washing
Machine Hoses: They can flood your basement even if the washing machine
is on the upper floors. These hoses are not made to withstand the 50 or
60 pounds per square inch of water pressure like our hard plumbing
system is. There is a valve to shut the water pressure off when the
washing machine is not in use, but very few people actually shut the
valve. Eventually, these inexpensive hoses will leak, or blow-out
completely. Basement Systems' FloodChek Hoses are the answer. Guaranteed for 20 years, the FloodChek hoses are made
to take the pressure, and will not blow-out, corrode, or rust at the
end connections.
7. Inspect your basement windows
Will
you be happy with your old windows in your newly finished basement?
Basement windows are notorious for being hard to open and drafty.
Furthermore, the wet environment near the ground or in a window well
causes a metal frame to rust and a wood window to rot. Many do not have
screens and painting them is a constant challenge.
Badger Basement Systems can replace your basement windows with energy-efficient, all-vinyl EverLast Windows .
They feature smooth sliding operation, double glass, full screen,
easily removable panes for cleaning or passing long objects into the
basement, and they never need to be painted!
The best
time to replace your basement windows is before you finish the
basement. Then the carpenters can trim right up to them for a nice
finished look.
8. Dehumidify the space
Most conventional dehumidifiers are too small to do an effective job. The SaniDry Basement Air System is a powerful and effective dehumidifier.
The SaniDry dries the air and automatically drains the water out of the
hose, so you never have to empty it, like a conventional dehumidifier.
The SaniDry takes three times the amount of water out of the air as a
typical dehumidifier, yet uses the same energy. The SaniDry has a
powerful blower to draw musty air in and move the dry, clean air back
out into the basement. This unit helps to ensure that you won't have
high humidity and musty smells in your finished basement.
9. Install Emergency Exit Windows
Badger Basement Systems uses ScapeWEL windows,
which adds safe emergency exit to finished rooms. In addition to
offering easy escape if an emergency calls, ScapeWEL window wells will
add light and ventilation to your lower level living areas, making them
as warm and comfortable as any other room in the home.
10. Perform some basic exterior maintenance
You should have your downspouts extended with Basement Systems' RainChute to
keep roof water away from the foundation. Keep the soil graded away
from the house wherever possible, and keep the gutters clean. Keep
window wells clear of leaves and debris.
