Frequently Asked Questions

Basement Authority of West Virginia offers crawl space encapsulation services to homeowners in southern WV. This area of the state has some of the highest amounts of rain during the year, which can end up damaging your crawl space. Our encapsulation includes the use of a vapor barrier, dehumidifier, sump pump, drainage system, and vent covers to keep your crawl space completely protected from moisture. No matter if it’s storming, drizzling, snowing, or simply humid outside, our encapsulation services permanently keep your crawl space secure and your home safe from damage.

Basement waterproofing in Charleston involves a few different systems that work together to minimize water below your home. First, our team will install floor drains and a sump pump system to prevent flooding in your basement. Both of these systems drain water and move it away from your foundation. Next, our team will install a dehumidifier to reduce water vapor below your home. This lowers humidity and prevents basement problem signs from occurring such as mold or musty odors. Finally, our team will add wall reinforcements to your basement walls to prevent them from cracking and may add a vapor barrier to keep all outside moisture out of your basement for good.

Water seeps through cracks in basement walls, usually formed when hydrostatic pressure pushes up against the foundation. For that reason, foundation solutions exist to repair basement walls and keep them supported. Additionally, some basement waterproofing solutions drain water out of your basement to prevent seeping water from causing damage. At Basement Authority, we use wall repair beams and carbon fiber reinforcements to realign your basement walls and close any cracks that may have formed. In conjunction with these repair tools, we also install floor drains and vapor barriers to keep water from leaking into your basement in the first place.

Mold needs two things to grow – relative humidity over 50 percent, and organic material to feed on. Unfortunately, your crawl space is prone to both of these conditions. Most crawl spaces are built with wooden support beams which serve as a food source for mold. Moreover, many crawl spaces are built with open vents and directly above dirt ground. Both of these contribute to rising humidity in your crawl space. Using crawl space encapsulation prevents mold build up by removing moisture from the equation. Vapor barriers, dehumidifiers, crawl space supports, vent covers, and crawl space drains all reduce water damage below your home. When mold has no moisture, it quickly dies.

Most dehumidifiers have to be emptied by hand. You might even have experiences dealing with a dehumidifier that filled up every day, and you had to empty it by hand every time. However, our dehumidifiers (designed for both basements and crawl spaces) have a self-emptying mechanism that keeps your involvement minimized. You won’t have to make the trip every day below your home just to empty the dehumidifier. Its automated system means your basement or crawl space is protected from moisture 24 hours a day and seven days a week!

We do! When you contact us, you can schedule a free basement inspection from one of our service technicians. On the day of your appointment, our technician will thoroughly inspect your entire home to determine the exact cause of your basement issues and see if they can identify other problem signs you might not have noticed. Once the inspection is complete, we come up with a plan suited for your individual situation and that meets your individual needs as a homeowner. With plenty of basement waterproofing solutions at our disposal, you’ll have an estimate on the cost and process before we even set an installation date.

We offer various crawl space solutions that help keep your crawl space dry and warm. First, we have crawl space vent covers that prevent cold air from getting below your home during the winter. Open vents in your crawl space let in tons of outdoor air during every season. Next, we can install a vapor barrier to keep moisture out of your crawl space. This protects any insulation below your home from condensation or humidity, which could end up making your crawl space especially cold. Finally, consider replacing any damaged insulation in your crawl space, or installing some if you don’t already have any.

Absolutely. Basement waterproofing involves many different systems that work together to keep your basement dry. Many of these systems are installed inside. For instance, floor drains and grated drain pipes are both installed in the floor of your basement. They run along the perimeter of your interior basement walls to capture and drain any water that makes its way into your basement. Another example is a dehumidifier. This device sits within your basement and removes water vapor from the air which might otherwise cause problem signs below your home. Vapor barriers are also an interior waterproofing solution that are attached to your basement walls to keep moisture out.

Yes, we do. Our installation process involves a little bit of excavation, but we leave your basement better protected and your yard back in the shape it was before. Egress windows are important for any basement because they let in natural light and can also serve as an emergency exit if needed. Keep in mind, we use special sealant to keep your basement protected from any water – something that often plagues other egress windows on the market. We also seal the seams with caulk to provide even more protection against moisture. Better yet, egress windows can raise the value and curb appeal of your home. Let us help make your basement safer with our egress window installation!

Water can be removed from your crawl space in a few different ways, and it’s important to note that all of these should be handled by a professional. DIY options can end up damaging your crawl space even more and cost you time and money in the long run. To start, professionals will install crawl space drains or a sump pump to drain water from the area and move it away from your foundation. Next, they might install crawl space support beams to keep sagging floors or water damaged support beams from collapsing. Lastly, professionals will likely install a vapor barrier and crawl space vent covers to keep outside moisture from entering your crawl space. Basement Authority of West Virginia has all of these options available to homeowners throughout the state, and you can receive a free estimate on our services when you contact us!

Most likely, yes. However, with certain basement waterproofing solutions, you can avoid this problem. Sump pumps are one solution designed to capture water in your basement and move it away from your home before it has time to clog your discharge line. Another example is grated floor pipes, which also capture water in your crawl space with the added benefit of filtering out large debris. Without any kind of drainage systems in your basement, your discharge line is certainly at risk for freezing over in the winter and causing a major leak below your home.