Take Advantage of Toronto’s Basement Waterproofing Subsidy

Despite the fact that Toronto’s sewers were designed to withstand all storms, Toronto has been getting stronger storms, which have been brought about by rain which falls over a short span of time. This means an increase in the pressure on the sewer systems as well as overland systems of drainage. When the pressure from the storms becomes too severe, basement flooding occurs. To counter the effects of these storms, the City of Toronto Basement Protection Subsidy Program has been put in place with the aim of improving drainage systems.

 

What are the details of the subsidy program?

It’s always nice to receive some financial aid for a significant home improvement project, and luckily, the City of Toronto offers assistance for basement waterproofing. As of spring 2015, residential homeowners could get as much as $3,400 to fund certain qualified flood protection improvements, like storm sewer capping, severing pipes and sump pump installation.

There is a pipe severance subsidy, which extends up to $400, including labor costs, materials as well as taxes that are applicable. The sump pump subsidy is fixed at 80%, which is estimated to a maximum of $1750. This project will ease all basement flooding problems so as to improve the quality of life in the whole of Toronto.

Do you own more than one property built prior to 2009? The city’s Basement Flooding Protection Subsidy Program means you’re eligible for individual subsidies for each improvement project, and the initiative is intended to last for a few years.

Homeowners who want to apply can do so by reading the instructions and filling out the application form below.

• Basement Flooding Protection Subsidy Program Overview
• Basement Flooding Protection Subsidy Program Application

A Waterproofing Service expert can answer any questions you have about the program and assist you with the application process. Give us a call today .

 

What else can be done to prevent basement flooding?

Homeowners are also cautioned to embrace practices that can help to prevent basement flooding from occurring. Such practices include refraining from pouring grease down the drain, which hampers flawless flow of water. While constructing the home, it is advisable to maintain a sloping surface away from the home for easy drainage of water away from the house. Homeowners are also advised to fix leaks that may exist in their basement and around windows. All downspouts that direct water to the sewer system should be disconnected.

Using hard surface landscaping has also been seen as a reason for the failure in the drainage system. Therefore, installing soft-surface landscaping measures will help to curb basement flooding. All paving should be porous for easy movement of water away from the home compound.

 

Getting the most out of your waterproofing project

Subsidies have limits; to avoid exceeding them and having to pay out of pocket, you’ll have to choose your waterproofing plan carefully.

Waterproofing Service’s 25-year stay dry guarantee has earned us mention on Love It or List It and Holmes on Homes, and we’re serious about getting you your money’s worth. Our team offers a range of bleeding-edge waterproofing solutions designed for lasting performance in unique properties, so find out more about your options today.

Call now to speak with a Waterproofing Service waterproofing expert:

Or, try our free Online Estimate Tool to calculate the cost of waterproofing your home.

We talk Waterproofing with Lowe’s Home Improvement Experts

Damp, musty basements are every homeowner’s worst nightmare. In extreme cases, condensation and water intrusion can make it impossible to finish a basement. Other times, hidden moisture problems can ruin all of the work that you’ve put into finishing the space. These are problems that homeowners and building contractors encounter regularly. Lowe’s Canada is also aware of these issues. To debunk some of the myths of basement waterproofing and to discuss current methods for controlling moisture problems, Fiona Wagner of Lowe’s talked to our waterproofing expert.

Read the Lowe’s article here: http://www.lowes.ca/articles/waterproof-a-wet-basement_a840.html

Managing Moisture Problems

If your basement floods every time it rains or if your property has a high water table, water problems are going to be pretty obvious. However, latent moisture issues are difficult to detect. McMahon cautions that minor problems can cause major damage. For example, basement drywall or paneling can be 100 percent dry on a moisture meter, but the block foundation behind it can be letting in moisture. Water follows a path of least resistance. If you simply plug the cracks in your foundation, the water will find another way to enter your home.

For best results, McMahon recommends a permanent solution, such as internal drains and external waterproofing. The best option depends on the foundation material, basement configuration and geology of the property. In many cases, waterproofing experts will excavate around the foundation, apply rubberized urethane and install a new system of weeping tiles, also called French drains, which will direct water into a sump pump and away from the building.

Basement Waterproofing

We offers a number of effective waterproofing systems that have been featured on popular home improvement shows, such as W Network’s “Love it or List it” and HGTV Canada’s “Holmes on Homes.” All of these services come with a 25-year stay-dry guarantee, and they have been successfully used by Wal-Mart, Scotia Bank and Ontario’s Pearson International Airport.

Call now to speak with a  waterproofing expert:
1 (800) 277-5411

Or, try our free Online Estimate Tool to calculate the cost of waterproofing your home.

How Can a Waterproofing Company Help Protect My Home?

Do you have one of the millions of houses with a basement?  Have you thought about what could happen if your basement springs a leak?  The results would be expensive and time consuming to clear up as well as very unpleasant and unhealthy for you and your family.  Even a small leak can result in mould and lose of property. What you need is a Toronto waterproofing expert to ensure that your basement is completely waterproof.

So what will your waterproofing company do to protect your home?  Well they will first of all look for the most likely way that water will enter your property.  It might be excess water pressure, your basement being below the water table or just plain damp in your basements.  They will also look for signs of mould growth, current and potential water ingress.

The most serious problem is that of a break in your foundations. This can affect your entire property, making your walls bow or lean.  If doors and windows are not fitting and your floors are sloping, the most likely culprit is your foundations.  Your Toronto waterproofing specialist may bring in a specialized foundation repair expert.  Together they will use industrial strength supports, posts and piers to firmly fix your foundations to solid soil.  This will provide your property with extra support.

Hopefully your waterproofing specialists can waterproof your basement before you have problems.  The most common method is called the French drain system.  First they will install a sump pump then dig a trench alongside the interior perimeter of your basement.  The trench, which leads to the pump, is then filled with a large pipe and filled with concrete.  The pipe collects the water, which trickles to the pump, which then pumps the water to the outside of your house.

They can also waterproof your foundations, using a hydrophobic membrane to line the interior or exterior of your foundation walls.  Obviously the interior lining is that much easier to install.  The exterior lining is usually undertaken on new builds and requires digging down to reach the foundations.  If you have frequent storms or a high water table in your area, then you should seriously consider waterproofing your foundations.

If you already have a damp basement and the resulting mold, then your local waterproofing company can also safely remove this for you.  Mold is a health hazard and can cause a variety of diseases including asthma and other respiratory diseases.

So if you have a basement in your property you owe it to your family and your finances to contact your local waterproofing company as soon as possible and get your basement waterproofed.

Basement Waterproofing Is The Best Long-term Fix

If you have a musty smell in your basement or house, or maybe mold growing on your walls and a general dampness in the basement of your house. Then you have big troubles ahead.  Your basement is not waterproofed and you need your local Toronto waterproofing company to come and professionally waterproof your basement.

A basement that is not sealed correctly is prone to all kinds of leaks or water damage. No matter how good the brickwork is, the pressure of the surrounding earth will soon find any small crevice or crack and force dampness and water through.

Dampness and mold in a house is a serious problem that can range from smelly clothes and furnishings to full scale respiratory problems in your family.  You house will not escape problems either.  All kinds of structural damage can arise from damp walls.  Bowing of walls, sloping floors and doors and windows that do not fix are just some of the symptoms of a damp basement.

You should hire a Toronto basement waterproofing professional to come and asses your basement and search for any causes or damp and signs of water ingress.

This is not the time for home based remedies or quick fixes.  These are short term solutions that may make the correct remedy even more difficult and costly.  These do it yourself fixes include spray on sealants, hardening solutions injected into cracks and other quick barrier methods.  They may stop the leaks for a short while, but will not solve the leaking problem in the long term.

The professional solution is to install a drainage system to your basement, coupled with a waterproof membrane.  A drainage system, correctly installed by your Toronto waterproofing professionals will carry water away from your basement and foundations into the surrounding earth.

This will involve digging a trench in your basement, installing a pipe and a pump within the trench and then covering it all with cement.  The trench will catch the water and the pump will remove it to the outside of your property.

They will also dig down to your foundations and install a waterproof membrane to the outside of your basement.  This will provide extra protection against any water ingress through your brick work.

If you wish to use your basement for storage or living, a good Toronto waterproofing expert will provide the best long term fix to your basement damp problems. Call them quickly.

What Do I Do If I Have a Wet Basement?

You are one of the millions of Toronto house owners who have a basement……and it is wet!  What do you do?  Well you should really contact your local Toronto waterproofing company and ask for their assistance in curing your wet basement.

First of all try and find out where the water is coming from and how severe it is.  Is it a leaking pipe from upstairs? Inconvenient, annoying, expensive but easy to cure – just find the pipe and get I fixed.  Now you just have a large clear up job.

If the leak is not inside, then look outside at your gutters to see if they are overflowing or one of your down pipes is broken.  Water will flow down your wall and make its way into your basement.

Most wet basements are caused by leaks in the walls – mostly because they are under the ground.  Even the most well built wall will have some small holes in them and the pressure of the outside earth will force water through them.  Over time, these small cracks become larger cracks.  If you live in an area with a lot of storms or a high water table then you usually will have problems.

If you have a finished basement, examining the walls can be difficult to find and repair.  There are paints on the market that can seal your walls, but there are better means of waterproofing your basement.

The most common method is to waterproof the outside of your basement walls.  This will involve digging down to the bottom of the foundations and is best undertaken by a skilled Toronto waterproofing company – not least because of the safety aspect.

If you do not have a finished basement, it is also possible to affix a waterproof membrane on the inside walls.  This is far easier, but is a skilled job and really requires an expert to undertake the work.

If you have mould, this can cause medical problems from asthma to more serious respiratory illnesses and you need to get rid of it quickly. Your Toronto waterproofing company will know how to get rid of mould quickly and efficiently.

So if you have a basement and it is not waterproof, or even worse if it is wet, then call your local Toronto waterproofing company as quickly as possible.

How Do You Choose a Toronto Waterproofing Company?

You have a damp basement and whatever you do does not seem to be working, and worse you now have mold.  Your whole home smells musty and you really do not want to go down into your basement. You know that you need a professional waterproofing company.  So, how do you choose a Toronto waterproofing company that you can rely upon?

Well the good news is that any fixes that you pay for will be permanent and solve the problem.  The bad news is that it could be expensive if you choose the wrong kind of contractor.  This is not a job for a general builder or plumber – you need a professional waterproofing company that knows what to do and had done the job on a numerous occasions.

As well as experience, cost will be your other main criteria to make your choice.  There are others though so hop over to the internet and choose two or three waterproofing consultants that you feel may be able to cure your damp problem.  Make an appointment to see each of them and show them your problem areas.

Other criteria to help you choose the best Toronto waterproofing company.

1. Did the waterproofing consultant arrive on time and appear prepared for your questions?  If they appeared inexperienced or did not arrive with ladders and a flashlight, then they have probably not done this many times before.
2. Did they appear professional, neat and tidy?  You want someone that takes their business seriously.
3. Did they appear to understand what the problem may be?  You want the expert, not some salesman who wants to close the deal.  Even worse, you do not want someone digging in your basement that does not know what they are doing.
4. Did they look knowledgeably around your basement and outside of your house?  Did they provide all the answers your asked for?
5. Did they appear honest and answer your questions?  If they changed the subject or deceptive when you asked more difficult questions, then do not trust them with your basement problems.
6. Did the contractor seem willing and able to work within your budget?  You do not want the work to be unnecessarily expensive.
7. Is your waterproofing expert offering the latest and finest products?  You want a long lasting solution that is the best that you can afford.  Do some research so that you understand what you need.