Basement Waterproofing Case Studies: Johnson Victrola Museum

Challenge

 What made this project difficult is that there was a lot riding on the system functioning at 100% efficiency. The Johnson Victrola Museum houses phonographs, recordings, and other related antiques worth several hundred thousand dollars in total. If for some reason the WaterGuard® system failed, the displays and stored items could be irreparably damaged. Most of these items are over 100 years old and it wouldn’t take much water to damage them. Thankfully, after a year and one of the wettest summers that Delaware has ever seen, the basement is still bone dry. The sump pump is fully functional and the drainage pipes are keeping all the ground water under the basement floor.

Solution

 The WaterGuard® Basement Drainage System is quite unique in that it rests on top of the concrete footer, rather than in the dirt next to the footer. This gives the system two major advantages. First, it is far less likely to clog since it is surrounded by gravel and solid concrete rather than loose dirt. Second, it doesn’t create an erosion problem by moving water around the structural base of the building’s walls. WaterGuard® also has a built in way to check for clogs and clean the pipes out if necessary. The WaterGuard® Inspection Ports allow the customer to actually see inside the pipes and flush them out if any dirt should start to build up. The SuperSump® Basement Sump Pump System is greatly innovative because it solves multiple common sump pump issues. The sealed lid keeps the smells and evaporation inside the sump container, helping to make the whole basement environment more pleasant. Each SuperSump® contains a Zoeller® sump pump, which is widely considered to be a leader in the sump pump industry. The pump rests atop a patented pump stand which keeps the pump raised around 2-4 inches. This feature extends the average life of the sump pump because it isn’t cycling on and off as often. The last few features are what set DryZone apart in general. Each SuperSump® system has an alarm and floor drain built right into the lid. DryZone is contracted to fix ground water problems every day, but there are also plumbing pipes, HVAC drains, and other sources of water in the majority of basements. The alarm and floor drain work in tandem to alert the homeowner of any plumbing leaks so that they can be addressed before they become a major problem.

Project Summary

Johnny Scarborough: DryZone Systems Design Specialist

Jeff Robertson: DryZone Project Foreman

Product: WaterGuard Drainage System

Service: Sump Pump Installation