Finishing a Basement in Santa Barbara, Oxnard, & Santa Clarita, California

A basement remodeling increases the living space and value of your home.

Beach Cities Moisture Control has seen many water problems ranging from dampness to total flooding in finished and unfinished California basements. If you’d like your basement finished, we recommend that you prepare it properly. If the basement has already been finished, you can still act on most of these precautions

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.
Perform some basic exterior maintenance.

WaterGuard Perimeter Drainage System 1. Install an Effective Waterproofing System
A basement with groundwater seepage will need a quality basement waterproofing system with a perimeter drainage system such as WaterGuard, DryTrak or one of the other options available from Basement Systems. Basement water problems never get better. As the house ages and the drains and external coatings that protected the house continue to fail, the problem will get worse and worse. Even if water seepage is only a yearly occurrence, you will need to fix the problem before looking seriously into a basement remodeling. Many cautious homeowners will even install a system in a home that hasn’t yet had water seeping in from the basement walls, floor, or foundation wall floor joint. From the standpoint that these systems are much easier to install in an unfinished basement than one with remodeled basement walls and basement floors that will restrict access afterwards. It’s also highly recommended that this system is installed around the perimeter of the basement. Click here for a free written estimate on basement waterproofing in your home!

TripleSafe Sump Pump 2. Install a Reliable Sump Pump with Alarm and Back-up Systems
Before your basement remodeling, be sure that your sump pump system is the best available to guard your home from flooding from primary sump pump failure, overload of the sump pump from torrential rains, and power failure that stops your sump pump from failing.

To answer the call, Basement Systems installs the TripleSafe sump pump system. Its primary and secondary AC powered sump pumps and battery backup sump pump are installed in heavy duty airtight sump pump lid to keep your basement quieter and drier than ever. Your basement sump pump will be protected from primary sump pump failure as well as overload from torrential rains and power failure during a potential flooding situation. If the power goes out or the primary sump pump mechanically fails and you don’t have the triple protection of the TripleSafe sump pump system, your basement will flood from rainwater. The TripleSafe system is prepared for all common reasons for a sump pump failure. If you’re going to finish the basement in Lake Isabella, Thousand Oaks, Ventura, or Oxnard, California, make sure that it stays dry all the time with the best waterproofing system around.
If you decide not to install the TripleSafe and instead opt for a system like Basement Systems' SuperSump instead, it’s a very good idea to install 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 can pump as much as 11,000 gallons of water from the basement in the event of a primary sump pump failure for any reason. Our WaterWatch Alarm is part of the standard installation included with all Basement Systems pump systems , and it will sound off to alert you to pump failure before the basement floods.

IceGuard Sump Pump Discharge line 3. Guard Against Floods from Frozen Sump Discharge Lines
Your basement sump pump probably discharges your foundation crack water, foundation wall floor joint, or basement wall and floor leakage water outside. Unfortunately, snow and ice can block the opening and cause the discharge pipe to clog with frozen water. If this happens, your pump will be running but the water will be unable to get out. Basement System’s IceGuard, also standard on most basement waterproofing systems in California, will prevent this problem automatically by giving the water another possible way to escape.

4. Install a vapor barrier on the walls before you put up finished walls
Basement walls in Santa Maria and Santa Clarita leak high up off the floor. Water vapor passes through the basement walls and creates higher humidity levels in the basement environment. A sheet of high-quality durable material can direct water seepage down into the drainage system and keep it from the studs, drywall, and paneling. As this happens, water will be kept off the studs, drywall, and paneling and will also keep moisture from the basement environment. If you have a perimeter waterproofing system, this vapor barrier should be tucked into it, and the top of the vapor barrier should be caulked directly to the wall.

It’s also a good idea to install a vapor-proof drainage sheet on the walls that’s able to insulate the area, such as Basement Systems ThermalDry WALL System. This unique basement wall vapor barrier is able to keep the basement dry while reflecting 97% of the heat back into your basement.

5. Keep the floor warm, dry and comfortable
Once all possible leakage problems have been eliminated from the basement, you’ll also need to eliminate water seeping in through the concrete floor. Water vapor is able to travel slowly and continuously through the porous concrete floor. If you’ve installed a carpet directly on this surface, then moisture will be trapped directly underneath, which encourages mold, rot, dust mites, and odors in your carpet.

To address this problem, Basement Systems suggests the ThermalDry Basement Floor Matting system. Our floor matting consists of a specially engineered polypropylene, 17-inch tongue-&-groove square tile that is totally waterproof and vapor proof. Unlike wood, it will not promote mold growth or rot, and it can’t swell and buckle with water. It comes with special pegs and a grid design underneath each tile that creates an air space underneath to insulate the floor and allow air movement to prevent water vapor from condensing. These tiles install quickly and take away only 3/8' of your 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 you may have from the ground or anywhere else in your basement will have the same damaging effect on your finished basement. Water from your plumbing is just as capable of wreaking havoc on your finished space as it is from the earth. To address this, Basement System has formed easy solutions for tow of the most common domestic water leaks.

FloodRing Leak Protection The average life of a common household water heater is seven to ten years. When they fail, they can leak and flood the basement, potentially causing damage to the floor, carpet, or walls. Basement System’s FloodRing is the best answer. Our FloodRing can contain water seepage, draining it to the waterproofing system when your water heater leaks.

FloodChek Washing Machine Hoses A washing machine hose that’s not turned off each and every time you use it is continually being placed directly under a great deal of water pressure. These hoses are not made to withstand the 50-60 pounds per square inch that a normal hard plumbing system is built for. Eventually these inexpensive hoses will leak or blow out completely, and a washing machine hose under 50 PSI can release 500 gallons per hour into your home! Even if your washing machine is located on the second floor, a flood like that will soon find its way to your basement- and who wants the water anywhere else either? If you’ve bought an inexpensive hose, you’ll be wishing you’d made the investment if it blows out completely! Basement Systems FloodChek hoses are the answer. With their 20 year guarantee, they’re made to take the pressure without blowing out, corroding, or rusting at the end connections.

7. Inspect your basement windows
What will you need to be happy with your newly finished basement? Will you feel satisfied with your drafty, rusty, dirty basement windows in this new space? Basement windows are notorious for being hard to open, dingy eyesores in a basement. And as the wet environment near the ground causes the, to rust or the wood they’re installed with to rot, they can easily begin to let in outside weather and water. Most basement windows have no screen, and painting them is a constant challenge.

EverLast Basement Windows Beach Cities Moisture Control of Ventura, and Oxnard can replace the windows with energy-efficient, double thermopaned, all-vinyl EverLast windows. They come with smoothly sliding window panes that easily can be removed for cleaning purposes or if you’d like to pass long objects into the basement. They never need to be painted, and they’ll never rust or rot. Our EverLast windows offer nearly three times the insulation value of normal steel single paned basement windows, and they’re a beautiful and worthwhile investment in your home.

SaniDry Basement Dehumidifier The best time to replace your basement windows is before your basement finishing. By doing this, you spare your basement any mess caused by an installation, and the basement finishing experts can trim right up to your beautiful new windows for a nice, finished look when the basement is renovated.

8. Dehumidify the space
Our SaniDry Basement Air System includes a powerful and effective dehumidification system. In a market where most dehumidifiers are too small to make much difference, the The SaniDry Basement Air System is powerful and effective. It blows dry air all around the basement, drying the air and automatically draining it away, so you never have to empty it like you might with a conventional model. Our SaniDry can remove three times the amount of water from the air as a typical model, and it’s able to remove 100 pints of water a day with the same energy use as some 40 pint models. Its filter can dry musty air inside and move dry, clean air back out into the basement. With the SaniDry basement air system, you can be sure you won’t have high humidity and musty smells dampening your enjoyment of your finished basement.

Downspout extensions 9. Perform some basic exterior maintenance
All downspouts should be extended with Basement Systems’ RainChute to keep roof water from draining back down next to the foundation. All soil should be graded whenever possible, and all gutters should be kept clean. Window wells should be cleared of leaves and debris, and any discharge lines should be kept from clogging. Real Estate in California is expensive, and keeping your yard looking clean and beautiful is a great way to retain its value.