Steps To a Green Seal Certified, Dry Basement

A high-quality vinyl window is one element of a well-insulated basement

Now that our annual 100-year floods are over with, you may find yourself thinking once more about how to protect your basement from uninvited drips, drafts and dampness. 

While a sump pump and the right insulation are a good start, chances are there is a basement contractor in your area who could offer you a more comprehensive plan. 

Carl Spigelmeyer is the owner of America’s Basement Contractor in Greenville, PA, and he has been helping folks waterproof and insulate their basements for the last 10 years. During that time, he has come across three products which will not only keep your basement warm and dry, but benefit the environment as well.

 Vinyl Windows Protect Against Drips and Drafts

“Replacing old, broken single pane windows with new double pane vinyl windows is one of the easiest and most affordable ways to stop energy loss,” Carl says. Carl’s company recommends and installs Gorell Vinyl Windows because of their outstanding insulation rating. 

Many of Carl’s customers ask about the R-value of certain windows, but Carl doesn’t believe that’s the right question. The correct question to ask about windows, according to Carl, is what their U-value is. A window’s U-value is a way of measuring not just the insulation value at the center of the glass, but also the insulation properties of the whole window. A standard single pane window will have a U-value of 1, while a particularly tight double pane vinyl window may have a U-value as low as 0.25, which is much better. 

Foam Insulation Fills In Where the Vinyl Stops

It would be a bit embarrassing – not to mention ineffective – if your new vinyl windows were better insulated than your walls. If your basement has older wall insulation or if your insulation needs to be replaced because of water damage, a forward-thinking basement contractor would suggest these options. 

1. 1. Polyurethane spray foam insulation brings leaky walls up to standard, making them an effective part of your overall dry basement strategy. Residential spray foam insulation offers some of the highest insulation values currently available to homeowners.
2. The right floors keep the whole basement area dry and warm, no matter what is flowing under your home. The right floor company could make a huge difference in the service life of a landfill. The company Carl  recommends is Sport Court Flooring which manufactures padded, insulated and waterproof flooring–perfect for basements. Sport Court is also a zero waste manufacturer, which means that less than 1% of their waste makes its way into landfills. 

Green Seal  Certification

Carl says he’s picky about the products he uses, and you should be too. “Our manufacturers are nationally recognized, with Energy Star Awards and Green Seal certification”, says Carl. Many homeowners are familiar with the Department of Energy’s Energy Star program that rates appliances and other products for their energy efficiency. But are you familiar with Green Seal certification? 

Green Seal is a nonprofit organization that uses science-based environmental certification standards to rate consumer products. If a product is Green Seal certified, then the sum of its environmental impacts, from raw materials extraction to its eventual disposal, are considered and judged to be good for the environment. 

If you have three feet of water in your living room, no amount of waterproofing can help your basement at that point. However, if you are just dealing with normal spring rains and an occasional deluge, the right basement contractor using the right products can make your basement clean, green and comfortable for many years to come.

Tagged as: basement contractor, basement insulation, green remodeling, green seal certified, residential spray foam insulation, spray foam insulation contractors