Job Stories

Sometimes it feels like there is no solution to a wet basement. Add an attached crawlspace in need of help, and the hopes of having a dry and usable space begin to seem unobtainable.   Luckily, this homeowner in Kittery, Maine knew to call TC Hafford Basement Systems! System Design Specialist Brian Donnelly met with the homeowner and developed a plan to keep water out of their basement and encapsulate their crawlspace. To do this, Brian created a system using a range of Basement System products that are exclusive to TC Hafford in the state of Maine.   First things first, the crawlspace. While the crawlspace is relatively small compared to the basement, it is necessary to encapsulate it. Along with protection from mold and rot, a dry crawlspace will also be inhospitable to termites, cockroaches, ants, crickets, and many other pests that need excess moisture to survive. Mice and rats are deterred by the plastic vapor barrier, and flooding waters will be kept at bay. By sealing a crawlspace, you also keep away odors and allergenic mold spores that would otherwise rise up through the floor and into your home due to the stack effect. By sealing your crawlspace, you keep the summer heat out of your home and the winter cold away from your furnace, water heater, and other utilities. To encapsulate the crawlspace, first, a layer of drainage matting is placed down, followed by CleanSpace Vapor Barrier. To finish the crawlspace, SprayFoam is sprayed where necessary, and now the homeowner has a usable storage area.   Now it’s time to keep the basement dry all the time. While this may seem impossible at first, no job is too big or too small for TC Hafford Basement Systems. Around the perimeter walls of the basement, WaterGuard and TrenchDrain is installed to channel the water to a TripleSafe Sump Pump with an UltraSump Battery Back-Up. The inclusion of the UltraSump Battery Back-Up is important to keep water out of the basement even during power outages, which tend to be very common in Maine during storms. Once the water gets to the TripleSafe Sump Pump, it has to go somewhere. A discharge line is connected and fitted with IceGuards to prevent freezing and buried. Water is taken away from the home where it is no longer a problem. To keep the discharge line from being clogged, a LawnScape Outlet is fitted to the end of the pipe to prevent anything from entering the discharge line. To take care of any humidity in the basement, a Sanidry Sedona dehumidifier is set up with an additional line attached to the TripleSafe Sump Pump so the homeowner no longer has to go into the basement to empty their old dehumidifier.   Now the homeowner has complete use of their home and no longer has to worry about their belongings being ruined. If you are experiencing a similar situation with your basement or crawlspace, please reach out. We will be happy to help!

This Kittery homeowner reached out to TC Hafford Basement Systems after their basement flooded for a second time. We protected their basement using WaterGuard connected to our TripleSafe Sump System. From the TripleSafe, all water is pushed out of a buried discharge line, far away from the house and in an area that will no longer cause any issues for the homeowner. Typically, this would be the end of the work, but this homeowner has a crawl space connected to the basement that would still need to be delt with to fully protect the home and give the homeowner piece of mind. To do this, foreman Jesus and his crew put down a layer of Drainage Matting and encapsulated the crawl space with CleanSpace and Spray Foam.   Now this Kittery homeowner can sleep easy at night knowing they no longer have to worry about waking up to anymore floods in their basement.

This Kittery, ME, homeowner had a crawl space connected to their basement with a dirt floor. Even though there was a sheet of plastic over the dirt, the homeowner wanted to install a vapor barrier to protect the home and retain it’s value. The homeowner called TC Hafford Basement Systems and booked a free estimate with System Design Specialist Michael Penna.   The crawl space was prepped by removing the old plastic and regrading the area to flatten it out a bit. Drainage Matting was laid on the ground and is designed to collect water from the crawl space floor and direct it to a sump pump. CleanSpace was then installed and attached to the walls to create a vapor barrier and protect the crawl space from moisture and critters. CleanSpace features a thick and durable inorganic construction that brightens up the area and turns a humid crawl space into the perfect storage area. Currently this crawl space is dry, but the homeowner wanted to be as protected as possible, so they opted to install a Sump Liner for the easy installation of a Zoeller sump pump if needed in the future. To finish out the system, a SaniDry Sedona Dehumidifier was installed and CleanSpace Vent Covers to keep the outside air from coming into the crawl space.

James, from East Waterboro, was having trouble with his crawlspace and basement. They were gathering water, which could lead to problem for the house if left alone. James contacted TC Hafford after he had heard about us from another customer. Our representative, Peter Folsom, inspected the trouble areas and then called for a crew to be sent in. The basement and crawlspace needed a few improvements before becoming waterproof, and the foreman of this job, Tony Hafford, made sure those improvements got implemented. The crawlspace was lined with a CleanSpace Drainage Matting, to allow for water to drain from the crawlspace. The basement was lined with a WaterGuard Drainage System to carry any water gathering in the basement to the newly installed TripleSafe Sump Pump. The TripleSafe Sump Pump features, as the name suggest, three separate pumps, one primary pump, and two backup pumps for possible pump failure protection. These systems then all connect to the outside, to an IceGuard drain pipe. This style of pipe is designed to function and drain water even in freezing conditions.

A homeowner from East Waterboro was having problems with his sump pump. Water would regularly come back up through the holes in the top of the pump, and flood his basement. Needing solve this problem before putting his house on the market, the homeowner heard about TC Hafford Basement Systems through a realtor and contacted us the next day. We had a representative over to the home in no time to inspect the basement and give a free estimate of what we could do to stop the flooding. We got to work by removing the old sump pump. This old pump wasn’t able to keep up with the amount of water needing to be pumped out of the basement. To keep water out of the basement, we installed a TripleSafe sump pump in the sump. The TripleSafe contains three pumps, each serving its own purpose. The first pump is the primary pump, used for the bulk of the water. The second pump is there in case the primary pump fails or cannot handle the water. Finally, the third pump is a battery backup pump, in case of a power outage. The TripleSafe sump pump will maintain a dry basement for this homeowner, no matter how hard the rain falls!

Isolating a crawl space from moisture from the earth, is critical to a healthy and happy home. At this home in New Castle, NH, TC Hafford Basement Systems used multiple exclusive products to give the homeowner peace of mind and a healthy home.    CleanSpace with drainage matting underneath is installed to keep moisture from the earth out of the crawl space and a SaniDry Sedona will work to keep the humidity in the crawl space low. Perforated pipe will direct groundwater to the SmartSump where it will push water out to a discharge line and far away from the homeowners crawl space. In the event of a power outage, the UltraSump Battery Back Up is installed to protect the space without hiccup.   Not only does the homeowner no longer have to worry about their crawl space, but now they have a usable area for storage and their home is better protected against the elements. 

Leaky and clogged gutters had become a growing issue for this Greenwood, ME homeowner, and wanting to take care of the issue, they reached out to Gutter Shutter by TC Hafford Basement Systems.   System Design Specialist Josh Hamel drove out and met with the homeowner to go over Gutter Shutter and design a system that would surpass the expectations of the homeowner and protect the home from water damage. Wanting to keep the look of their home, the homeowner chose to go with a traditional white Gutter Shutter system that would blend into their home. The larger 6-inch gutter can handle more water, and the built-in shutter keeps organic material out, so clogging is never an issue.   The homeowner is able to relax knowing their home is protected, and they no longer have to worry about water pouring on their heads as they walk into their front door.

A Rye, NH homeowner contacted TC Hafford Basement Systems for help after frustrations with their old sump pump failing and constantly leaving a wet mess. System Design Specialist Mike P. met with their property manager for a free estimate to assess the best solution for their needs. We removed their old sump pump and replaced it with a brand new TripleSafe sump pump. The TripleSafe features two Zoeller sumps and a battery-powered backup to handle any pump or power failures. The TripleSafe drains water out of the basement and through an Exterior Buried Discharge line that is protected against ice buildup with IceGuard. The homeowner has been able to enjoy a dry basement and their property manager no longer needs to clean up a mess!

In an Alfred residence, a homeowner had been having trouble with a crack in his wall. This crack was allowing water to leak into the basement from the outside during rain. The homeowner wanted this taken care of ASAP, and contacted TC Hafford after seeing an ad on the television. We had a representative dispatched to take a look and give a free estimate shortly after being contacted. The homeowner made their decision and we got to work! To fix the crack in the wall, we started the process of applying FlexiSpan. FlexiSpan is a flexible three layer material used to keep out water and contort to any shifting of a crack. The first layer is a sealant sprayed into the crack. This first layer is then covered with a foam pad. This pad holds the sealant in place as well as allowing for the flexibility of the whole structure. Finally the foam is covered with the final layer, which is another layer of sealant. This three layer system locks out any moisture trying to enter through the crack. This crack is no longer something this homeowner needs to worry about.

We gave extra support to homeowners in Lyman, Maine - literally! The homeowners were experiencing some shifting in their floors and had some cracking walls in the interior of their home. We added support by installing a new supplemental beam, as well as a few SmartJacks. SmartJacks are zinc coated steel posts that provide immediate support and lift to the floors above. Since they are zinc coated they will never rust like traditional lally columns. SmartJacks can also be tightened and adjust over time to continue to give proper support to the home.