Your basement offers a great space to use for entertaining, relaxing, or starting a new hobby. Basement water damage remediation can be as easy as patching a few cracks in the walls, wrapping pipes and insulating the windows. Or it can get as complicated– replacing drywall, repairing interior finishes, or fixing a weak foundation.
Since basements are naturally damp, you need to focus on 1) keeping your building materials and possessions from water damage, and 2) avoiding mold. Over the years, Stretch Cleaning has built a checklist for avoiding damp basements:
The easiest tip is to run a dehumidifier in the basement much of the time. Molds tend to become a problem at a relative humidity of 60% and above, so use your dehumidifier to keep it below 55%.
Depending on the source of water, your basement could be damaged in multiple areas. For example, if your downstairs washing machine overflowed, most damage will be on the floors in the laundry room. But if the unit is on the first floor, now you not only have the damage there but also in the ceiling and walls of the basement, as well.
Likewise, water dripping directly from a fridge is easier to diagnose than water seeping through the walls. So the Stretch Cleaning technicians will focus on the cause first; then fix the walls, floors, baseboards, etc.
More often than not, wet basements also lead to mold and mildew. So the entire time that the Stretch crew works on your home, they will be looking for ways to prevent future mold.
Before any new flooring materials can be chosen any existing moisture sources must be corrected. Then the options will become more clean. Perhaps luxury vinyl planks can give you a wook or stone look, but are warmer and more comfortable under foot. Maybe luxurious wall to wall carpeting will create a quiet, cozy comfy vibe. Or maybe hard tile is the pet and wether-proof floor you need for an active space.
A long-lasting and inexpensive option for basements is painted floors. The trick is to execute a process of multiple layers: primer, basecoat of industrial epoxy, a sealant layer. This offers a durable, protective, moisture-resistant sealant that is easy to maintain.
If your concrete is cracked, chipped, or uneven, Stretch Cleaning can repair the damage and even out the surface to form a strong barrier to future moisture.
Stretch Cleaning knows a lot about Long Island Beach weather, geology and topography. After any water emergency in your basement or home, you will need a water damage partner you can rely on. Choose the water damage restoration team that is fully insured, bonded and has served the New Jersey area for over 20 years. Stretch Cleaning & Restoration is standing by now to help you, too.
