Basement Detective

Description of Work: We had a complete basement remodel. Existing paneling was demo'ed, new framing was installed, drywall hung, home theater wired, and carpet installed. Entire crew was good, but Thomas Arndt was the pro who kept everything going. If he is your foreman, your job will be done right. I plan to have a bathroom installed and Basement Detective will be at the top of my list--especially if Thomas oversees the job. Highly recommended.

Description of Work: They gave me an estimate to install two window wells that was about 240% of price of the equally-professional-appearing company I have retained to do the job.

Description of Work: I met Roland Hook, Senior Inspector, for Basement Detective at the appointed time on January 20, 2015. We discussed a water leak in one corner my basement whenever it rains. He was professional and answered my questions as he looked in my basement and the outside wall of my home. He suggested hand digging along 25 feet of the house 3 feet deep and waterproofing the wall, collect the rainwater from a downspout, and transport it 45 feet in a buried pipe to an area in the yard. The quote from Mr. Hook for this work was close to $10,000 with NO GARANTEE!!!

Description of Work: I had a foundation leak in my basement. The rep from Basement Detectives was able to diagnose the issue and have a team install a sump pump and protective barrier to prevent future occurrences. I highly recommend this company for basement repair issues.

Description of Work: The severe rain storms of late have led to severe puddling near the foundation and some water seepage into my laundry room. The very professional technician from Basement Detective promptly arrived at my house, examined both the exterior and interior areas of my home impacted by the heavy rains, asked lots of pertinent questions and suggested a minor adjustment to the drainage system on the exterior that might prevent the build up of water that is seeping into the laundry room. If that doesn't work, he provided an explanation and estimate for a sump pump system in my laundry room. The location of the room does not allow for sealing the foundation from the outside. There have been two down pours since his visit and I have had no water build up so far. I was very impressed by the technician.

Description of Work: Basement Detectives performed work in and around a downstairs bedroom that was underground on the two exterior walls. They effectively stopped constant high humidity in the room and water leakage at one corner following any major rain. The used a combination of interior capture of water (jackhammering the foundation around the interior of the two walls to add piping, a dry well, and a pump, and removing the interior wall to add a non-permeable barrier to capture water) and exterior trenching and piping to prevent water from reaching the house.

Description of Work: I was considering buying a home that had cracks in the basement foundation. I had the home inspection company tell me to get a second opinion on basement cracks, I had basement detective come out to look at it.

Description of Work: My home is a part of a small town - house community. Recently the neighbors who share my west wall decided to destroy a grade in their back yeard with concrete and pavers providing a higher surface level than mine. I was concerned that this action would obstruct the normal rainwater drain flow in my back yards with the possibility of water intrusion in my basement for the first time in 27 years. With that concern in mind I asked Basement Detective's to visit my basement and establish fact that it has never been flooded in the past.. Their inspector, Roland Hook, visited my basement, inspected my potentially affected wall and adjacent floor as well as viewing the neighbors new paving. He confirmed that there was no evidence of any water intrusion for the 27 year life of my home.

Description of Work: I used Basement Detective to put in a french drain and a sump pump in the basement in September of 2012.

Description of Work: Nothing.

Description of Work: I had water in my basement and could not figure out where it was coming from. I had a brand new water heater and multiple service calls thinking that the water heater was leaking some how. Basement Detective's Roland showed up at my house right on time and at an odd hour for my convenience. He was very professional. Roland thoroughly inspected my house and located a possible cause of the water. The leak was coming from a bad wax ring on a toilet in an adjoining bathroom. Roland walked me through all the steps he took to come to his conclusion. and explained in detail what the problem was. Even though I did not have to pay for the evaluation i was treated as if i spent thousands. Basement Detectives is a great company and I wouldn't hesitate recommending them to someone who would like an honest evaluation.

Description of Work: Positive Basement Waterproofing

Description of Work: Our basement had been seeping water so we decided to use this company according to the high ratings on Angie's list. They came out the same evening I called and I thought it was very professional that they wanted both spouses there for the free estimate. Roland came out and was very meticulous in his inspection. Roland also explained the whole procedure as he was doing it and why. He then show us on paper what was wrong and what we needed to do to fix it. we had a french drain dug into our basement and a sump pump put in. They took our basement walls down to the concrete and assured us it would be put back to it's natural state. They were try to there word.Our basement was jack hammered up from 2 walls in the basement all the way to the bathroom(finished basement) they they had people come in and lay the french drain (THERE WAS SO MUCH UNSEEN WATER WE COULDN'T BELIEVE IT!) and put in the sump pump,laid down white stone to cover drain and let water drain overnite. then they came the next day and laid the concrete and we had to let that dry a couple of days. Meanwhile there was one mishap that was not expected and roland was on top of this and the owner was so accommodating and got it fixed at no extra charge.During the job there also was a misunderstanding and i couldn't believe this co. that immediately fixed the problem. Once the cement dried the carpenters came in and put the basement back to it's original condition and we had chair rail and wainscott up. The whole job took about 2 weeks but in the end it was worth it. I can't say enough about the company, the owner Anthony, Roland, and the crew all they wanted to do is please the client.

Description of Work: French Drain Install. There is a tremendous amount of labor involved in a project such as this (concrete/floor breakage, stones, new concrete, drainage pipes, sump pump etc.) Old hideous water-damaged paneling removal.

Description of Work: We had our original waterproofing system fixed. (It was original to the house...) We then had Basement Detective redo all of the drywall and baseboards that had to be taken down for the waterproofing system repairs. To make it look better, we had Basement Detective put down tile instead of carpet throughout the majority of the basement.

Description of Work: -Paint Existing laundry room with Dry-Lock, install countertops and rolling bins, install drywall on interior wall, demolish and remove old dual concrete utility sink, install new utility sink of choice.-In large basement room extend closets all along wall with new doors, block out ductwork for drywall, drywall ceiling, sand and have drywall paint ready, install new doors on opposite wall in existing closets

Description of Work: Free estimate of waterproofing work in large basement. Installed interior french drain system with vapor barrier, 2 sump pumps and egress window and well.

Description of Work: Sent an foundation consultant because of water in my basement.

Description of Work: Diagnosed source of basement flooding.

Description of Work: Basement Detective did water proofing and mold work.

Description of Work: Hired to determine whether cracks in the basement floor was something to be concerned about before installing new carpet. They were recommened by Absolute Carpet to make sure there was no foundation damage.

Description of Work: Installation of drainage pipe system on the inside of my basement, vapor barrier, and sump pump.

Description of Work: Their representative came out. I was given an estimate and what they would do. I had 2 other companies give me an estimate and this company was the highest. The rep was courteous on time and cordial. Did not use them as they were the highest and basically all three companies were going to do the same work. EDIT 3/13/12: The cost to redo what I had done is basically the same with all three companies. In comparing what they would do and what expense was to be charged they were actually the same and maybe a little lower . I errored in my first evaluation as THEIR estimate was for a complete job. Whereas the low estimate was using what was in place. When basement detectives called back they advised me if all I wanted was a sealant and water barrier they could match and perhaps beat the estimate I was given. Basement detective included replacing the sump pump whereas the other did not. I may be using them afterall. My apologies to them and anyone that read my initial evaluation.

Description of Work: they did waterproofing and installed a sump pump.

Description of Work: Trust these guys! We were in the process of buying a home in Northern Virginia and asked Basement Detective to look at a mold issue identified by our home inspector. Roland from Basement Detective was out there within a day, and spent over an hour surveying our house. We are skeptical by nature, and it took some "hand holding" by Roland to convince us that we had water seeping through our foundation in to our house for some time, and that we had water damage and a major mold problem behind the walls. After much discussion, we agreed to contract with Basement Detective to fix our problem. First, a crew came in to take down all of the affected walls and framing. We were shocked by the extent of water damage and mold behind our walls. Roland was absolutely right in his initial assessment! The crew removed all of it, and disposed of it. We were now looking at the bare cinder block foundation, and saw a clear line of seeping water exactly where Roland told us it would be. After removing all of the wet/moldy building material, the crew used a jackhammer to dig out a foot-wide trench at the base of the affected wall - Yikes! Raul, the foreman, kept us calm as he explained what he was doing each step of the way. After digging out a trench, the crew installed drains along the bottom of the wall, and installed a sump pump in one corner. They also drilled holes in the bottom of the foundation to allow water to escape. They filled in the trench with gravel, and cemented over it, using a special liner against the cinder block to route any seeping water down in to the trench. The cemented portion lined up exactly with the existing cement floor. They then installed a vapor barrier on the inside of the cinder block foundation. Raul was very proud of his work, and told us that we would never have a water problem again. After the cement dried, Basement Detective sent in another crew to reframe the wall and reinstall our new drywall. They did an amazing job, even spending extra time to make sure our pergo floor was reinstalled properly. Angel, the foreman for this crew, explained that they do alot of work for Basement Detective. His crew is used to coming in behind Raul's crew and knew exactly what to do. Angel was also excellent on the customer service end, answering our questions and making small changes at our request. All together, this was a three-day project.