Contact Us 1-800-331-2943
With Real Dry™, water seepage becomes a thing of the past
Real Dry™, a cost effective way of making your water seepage a thing of the past.
In 1978 Basement De-Watering Systems®, Inc. developed a proprietary waterproofing system. This system captures water seepage at the trouble spot – right where the wall and floor meet – and doesn’t require any digging or removal of any flooring. Our system then channels the water away, diverting it from your home and protecting you from water seepage. It’s simple, yet amazingly effective.
The secret is our proprietary epoxy used to bond the system to the floor. Basement De-Watering Systems® exclusive epoxy is only available for professional use through our national dealership and authorized installer network.
Truth about bonding agents: Real Dry™ versus other Baseboard Water Proofers
Caulk Sealants: Are very inexpensive, however the good news ends there. These are mainly found in “do it yourself kits”. There are a host of problems in using caulk to seal baseboard. The main problem is strength. A simple action, such as hitting it with a sweeper, could cause the system to fail. Caulks are also prone to shrinkage over time and they do not adhere well to wet surfaces. Do to the inherent problem with caulk sealants very few companies use caulk sealants professionally. Those that do, usually work out of a garage. BEWARE.
Epoxy Sealants: Epoxies are not created equal. Epoxies are expensive, and how expensive depends on what you are requiring it to do. Waterproofing epoxies must deal with the follow criteria: set-up under water, bonding strength, and longevity. Companies have a tendency to provide only the minimum quality to get the job done. Basement De-Watering® removes other companies systems all the time because they cut corners and used an inferior epoxy. Most are removed 3 to 10 years after they were installed. Longevity and bonding strength are the big issue with epoxy. They are the most expensive factors in creating epoxy. The epoxy used with the REAL DRY™ is stronger than the concrete that it is bonded to. It is as if the baseboard is welded to the floor. The epoxy used with the REAL DRY™ is specially designed to NOT degrade over time. The systems that we installed in 1978 still work the same as the system we install yesterday. Basement De-Watering has installed well over 6 million feet of system.
The truth about tradition sub-slab and sub-slab hybrid system:
Real Dry™ versus the other guys
Most of the home and business that have basements in the United States were built with standard construction practices. That means you have solid concrete floor with a footing and wall (3 piece foundation) or you have a monolithic foundation (floor and footing are poured together) with a wall (2 piece foundation). That means you have a choice when you waterproof. If your floor is made with red brick bats, dirt, stone, or a very thin layer of concrete over any of these; you’re stuck with a tradition sub-slab system.
Disadvantages of traditional Sub-Slabs systems and hybrid systems:
1. Very Expensive: To install sub-slab waterproofing system it takes 3 -5 people 3 to 5 days to complete. They must first break up the concrete floor of your basement. Then they dig a trench down to the footing. They must then haul everything out by hand (that means through your home) and then dispose of all the concrete and dirt. After they place their version of drain tile in the trench they have created they must haul (back through your house) aggregate (which is rock) and fill the trench up to the top of the drain tile. Finally they mix concrete and haul it (back through your house) to finish off the floor. Someone has to pay for all this back breaking labor, and that someone is you!
Real Dry™ Advantages:
Less Expensive: It takes 1 to 3 people 1 to 2 days. 80% of all installs are 2 people for 1 day.
2. Very Messy: Imagine someone hauling bucket after bucket of muddy clay, dirt, and broken concrete ruble through your house. Then turning around and hauling more rock and wet concrete back through your house; yuck! Now imagine them doing it for 5 days. However it gets worse. When they break up the concrete floor they must use either a concrete saw or a jackhammer. It is impossible to do this without creating a very large amount of very fine dust. This dust can hover for days. It can enter your heating and cooling duct work. It can enter your upstairs living spaces. Cement dust can land on anything and anywhere; including, but not limited to, walls, wall hangings, furniture, electronic, carpet, ceiling, duct work, etc. Cement dust can also be inhaled by persons in the home. When the job is done someone will have to clean up the mess, and that someone is you!
Real Dry™ Advantages:
Less Mess: We do not break up the concrete. When a Real Dry™ system is installed cement dust is at a bare minimum and no hauling soil back and forth.
3. Clogging: Sub Slab systems are installed below the floor. That means they are sitting in the soil below your concrete floor. (Hybrid systems sit on the footing, which reduces soil contact but does not eliminate it.) Over time soil particles can fill up the drain tile impeding its effectiveness. Even drain tile with filters or small slits can clog. Roots can be a major problem with drain tiles. Just ask a plumber. Plants and trees send their roots to where the water is located. Remember roots systems can break apart hard rock, so no matter how fancy the tile system it’s no match for plant or tree roots. Even if under warranty you still have to go through all the mess and aggravation to have it cleaned out. Which means problem # 2 all over again!Real Dry™ Advantages:
No danger of clogging: Real Dry™ is installed on top of the floor, not in the soil. Only water enters the system.
4. Can create a new source of seepage: When they break the floor to install their system they will be creating a new floor crack. This crack will run parallel with the wall and lie in front of their system. This seem can act in the same way that the caused the original water seepage. Remember that your original seepage was cause by seams between the wall, floor, and footing call cold joints. There is a possibility that you could be replacing one problem for another, not to mention that you just paid a lot of money to inherit this new problem.
Real Dry™ Advantages:
Does not create new cracks: Since we do not dig up the floor, we do not create a new cold joint.
5. Special Issues with Sub-Slab Hybrid Systems: Hybrid systems are designed to drain the wall as well as below the slab. While normally not as expensive as traditional sub-slab, they are still more expensive than baseboard methods. These systems have all the pit falls of traditional sub-slab with a few extra.
a. Increased Humidity: These systems like sub-slab system sit below the concrete floor. However these systems have an added feature to take care of water seepage that either comes out of the wall or down the wall. This feature lies along the wall and is attached to the drain tile. It lays open to the basement. Since the drain tile it is attached to sits below the floor it is subject to the water table. The water table can contain millions of gallons of water and is much different than the small amount of seepage you have leaking into your basement. Since basement air is drawn through the home. This opening can allow an increase in humidity levels throughout your entire home. Excess humidity can lead to an increase in Dust Mites and / or the growth of micro-organisms (Mold).
Real Dry™ Advantages:
No increase in humidity: The Real Dry™ system sits on top of the floor not in the water table.
b. Soil Gases and Oder: Radon Gas is just one of the gases that can be present in the soil around your house. The only way to know is to test using a reputable testing company. Radon has been found through the country. Since their system sits below the floor and because it’s open and cannot easily be closed it can allow free access for soil gases to enter the home. Mildew can cause terrible damp musty odor. It can also emanate from this opening. This is why professionals use sealed sump pump liners. It is never a good idea to have a open access to soil into the basement.
Real Dry™ Advantages:
The Real Dry™ system is normally installed open at the top. However if Radon Gas is either present or a concern the system can be easily sealed on the top with a sealant.
6. Other advantages in using a Real Dry™ system
a. Our system is design to mimic the standard baseboard on the bottom of a finished wall. We’ve installed systems in anything from elevator shafts to million dollar homes.
b. It is paintable so you can match your own décor.
c. We’ve been around a long time. We’re one of the largest waterproofing companies in the U.S.A. Since 1978 we have installed over 6 million feet of system in 3 countries.
d. Our dealers are professionally trained and offer warranties on their work.
