If you notice your basement is flooding, and you aren’t sure whether condensation or seepage are allowing water to penetrate your basement walls, there are a few simple DIY tricks to help determine if you need to call a waterproofing professional. If your basement walls are wet, it could be taken as a sign of a much larger problem.

Water has several methods of transmission into your basement, whether it is leaky gutters and downspouts, or blocked drainage pipes. This problem needs immediate correction, and the first thing that must be done is to determine if condensation or seepage is the source of the problem. To do so, dry a small portion or area of the affected wall by using a simple cloth or even a hairdryer. Tape a piece of aluminum foil, around a foot squared, to the dried interior wall. Leave it there overnight or for several days. When you remove the foil, make sure to notice which side is wet. If the side facing your interior room is wet, condensation is your problem. Using a dehumidifier is an effective solution to this problem. If the side facing the wall is wet, take it as confirmation that seepage is occurring.

If this is occurring it is time to contact a waterproofing professional, Mar-flex recommends DryPatrol.

Mar-flex Waterproofing and Building Products offers the LandScapes No-Maintenance Window Wells. These window wells won’t rust or dent like metal, and they brighten basement environments and increases curb appeal. LandScapes remain the contractor’s choice, they install easily, no specialty hardware is needed. Every window well purchase comes with a drain kit and all LandScapes window wells have a built-in floor for maintenance-free construction. When you need an effective and easy window well solution, choose Mar-flex’s LandScapes No-Maintenace Window Wells.

Mar-flex Waterproofing and Building Products offers a new Air Barrier for commercial applications. Mar-flex Air & Vapor Barrier 1800 provides a seamless, 100% rubber continuous membrane around the building envelope. This air barrier is impermeable to air and vapor transmission, and is watertight. This product has a low odor, it is self-priming, and provides and excellent elongation and recovery. It can be applied directly to a variety of exterior surfaces. It is one of the most flexible Air Barrier products, making it the choice for the building professional looking for quality and durability.

There are several different types of materials that waterproofing equipment is made of. A few examples of materials used in waterproofing are asphalt-based painted substances and bentonite or clay based products. Bentonite is formed from the weathering of volcanic ash, and is preferable because of its ability to absorb several times its own dry weight in water. Bentonite also seals when wet, making it a great sealant material. Asphalt is carefully refined from the distillation of selected crude oils and is used because of its impermeability and reliability. Mar-flex offers several types of waterproofing products, made from different materials, so check out our selection.

Geo-Mat is Mar-flex Waterproofing and Building Products’ answer to the recycled and sustainable revolution. This product is the only 100% green drainage board solution in the world, made of high density polyethylene (HDPE) which offers a strong resistance to hydrostatic pressure and excellent drainage. These rolls feature dimples that are aligned along vertical and horizontal axis to rapidly channel water to draining systems, protecting basements and foundations from the harmful effects of water penetration. Geo-mat serves many different roles, this board can be used as a dampproofing roll. Geo-mat Plus can be used as a drainage and protection board in conjunction with Mar-flex’s waterproofing membranes to form a complete waterproofing system.

Since Geo-mat is made of recycled and green materials it can be used towards LEED® building credits.

Mar-flex also offers many accessories that allow the job to be professionally completed.

Mar-flex Waterproofing and Building Products introduces a brand new line of safety and protective equipment. Our equipment is perfect for any DIY project, but also built with the durability and quality necessary to be of use to professionals. From coveralls, in the hooded or regular variety, to shoe covers and double dipped pvc gloves, which protect from solvents, resins, paints, and dyes, Mar-flex has everything you need to complete your job safely. We even offer respirators, face masks, and essential tools like the proprietary wet mil gauges, which gauge the proper thickness of spray-applied membranes. We also carry BreakAway knives, making cutting drainage boards a simple task, footer brooms, and orange 90 cleaner, which is a mult-purpose cleaner, excellent for clean up of asphalt based products. Stop by our Equipment page to pick up everything you need to be safe in your next waterproofing job, no matter how big or small.

Did you know that roof drainage is the number one cause of basement leakage? A roof’s surface area is as big as the home, therefore it collects large amounts of water in heavy rainstorms. What happens to this water after it collects, as it drains from the roof, is the difference between a soaked basement and a dry one. Make sure your gutters are always kept free of debris, to assure proper drainage. Also, maintaining your roof, as far as shingles and support systems, does just as much to contribute to proper drainage. With these easy steps, you can easily protect your basement from most seepage issues.

When you enter your basement, do you notice a musty smell? Are you noticing cracks in the basement walls? What about signs of mildew, or windowsills with rot, general dampness, and moisture on basement wall or floors? If you experience a worsening of your allergies when you are inside your home or down in your basement, there could be a water damage problem. These issues are often not immediately noticeable, but if not repaired, can be extremely costly to fix. If you experience any of these things in your home, call a waterproofing specialist to come out and inspect your basement for water damage.

Mar-Flex Waterproofing and Building Products presents the ShockWave™ drainage board. ShockWave™ is made from inert, environmentally-friendly, recycled foam products, and helps to qualify for LEED® credits. This drainage board is designed for performance, able to absorb up to 101.11 gallons per hour per lineal foot of groundwater, which eliminates the possibility of hydrostatic pressure. ShockWave™ is designed for heavy-clay soil, clay, or rock soil environments where drainage conditions are extreme, and its closed cell, cross-linked foam resists water absorption to prevent thermal transfer of below-grade ground temperature. This landmark drainage board is built durable as well, able to withstand up to 283.72 psi of compressive strength, and its crush-resistant memory (CRM) acts a shock absorber so backfill doesn’t allow debris to harm the waterproofing membrane. ShockWave™ is the winner of the 2007 “Expert’s Choice” award for most innovative product at the World of Concrete. This award-winning drainage board, built for performance, quality, and durability is the choice for any customer who needs guaranteed and proven protection as shown on many custom-built residential, multi-family, and commercial buildings nationwide.

Mar-flex Waterproofing and Building Products is proud to reveal that they have reached the top 4% of American-made manufacturing. In this current economic climate, many companies are focusing on cutting proprietary costs by outsourcing labor to cheaper markets. Mar-flex has always maintained the commitment to American made products, whether it be in design or in manufacturing.

President and owner Brett Oakley holds the belief that the solution to the current economic downturn is to focus on national manufacturing, and has been committed to that end since 1987. “Even though we could save costs all around by outsourcing our manufacturing, we still remain in the top of our industry despite this.” Oakley is unveiling a new line of products made from at least 25% recycled materials, all to be ready by 2012. The company is innovating their way into the future, and plans on persevering by focusing on sustainable and “green” solutions for the entire industry.