Plumbing Precautions

Your basement waterproofing won't be complete until you consider all of the risks. A flooded, wet basement can be caused many times by plumbing leaks. Water heaters and washing hoses are two of the biggest problems when considering basement finishing. Baker's Waterproofing offers products to make sure that these huge concerns don't become a concern in your life. The FloodRing for water heaters and FloodChek hoses for washing machines will make sure that your plumbing never causes a problem for your basement.

Water Heater Leaks

Most water heaters have a life of about seven years. They should be checked frequently for leaking, or you are in danger of having a wet basement or even a flooded basement. It is important to check pipe connections and valves underneath your water heater to make sure that nothing is rusting and no leaks are present. Maintenance alone can help your water heater last longer. Where basement seepage is usually slow and able to be controlled by waterproofing, a bad water heater can destroy your possessions quickly.

Baker's Waterproofing offers the FloodRing from Basement Systems to keep your basement dry. The semicircle FloodRing hooks straight into your draintile system, so any water that comes out of your water heater will automatically be rerouted into your drainage system and into your sump pump. Since there is no way to know when your water heater is going to fail, the best answer is to simply be prepared for anything.

Washing Machine Hoses

Did you know that if you are not running a load of laundry, the best practice for your home is to shut off the water feeds to your washing machine? Unfortunately, most of us don't remember to do that - or even to shut them off when we leave our houses for extended periods. When you let your water run continually, there is a great amount of pressure applied to your washing machine hoses - between 60 and 80 pounds. Most machine hoses are not equipped to deal with that kind of pressure. If they break - your basement floods. The typical outlet can spew out 650 gallons of water - per hour. It can destroy everything in your basement, cause mold and rot, and if your washing machines are on an upper floor, destroy anything beneath them.

Baker's Waterproofing offers FloodChek hoses - reinforce, rubber hoses which won't become brittle like traditional water hoses, and they won't break at crimp points like steel hoses. The Floodchek hoses have a traditional rubber tube but are reinforced with braided rayon, then two different types of rubber over that. They also have solid brass couplings so that they won't corrode and break at the entrance.

If you would like to know more or schedule an appointment, please contact Baker's Waterproofing today. We serve southwestern Pennsylvania, northern West Virginia and eastern Ohio.