A review for Clarke Basement Systems

Summary: We are located 3.5 hours north of Markham. Water table is high on our property. We wanted to add Lateral Drains to deal with moisture observed inside the existing basement Waterguard perimeter drain. Clarke Basement Systems (CBS) provided an estimate and sent their first work team quickly. In spite of some scheduling / resourcing issues, CBS sent a second team out within a week to complete the work. We are pleased with the final results. Communication (10/10) Fiona, the service tech, came to do annual maintenance on our existing pumps. She discussed the work requested, and later emailed an estimate. She stayed in contact by email through all steps of the job. Thanks to Fiona for her great communication. Work Team A: (8/10) The first work team, Dave and Luke, arrived about 11am on a Wednesday. They were friendly, polite workers. They quickly began breaking new trench in the cement floor. By early afternoon, I learned: 1) Work would not be completed that day (based on slow progress). 2) Dave and Luke were not available to finish the work. 3) Someone would get back to me about next steps. Scheduling completion of the work was escalated to CBS Production. My goal was get the work completed by the end of the week. Dave generously offered to come on Saturday if CBS could get him an assistant. Other comments: No plastic sheet used to prevent dust from spreading into the rest of the house (an open staircase is close to trench). Work area swept clean. Scheduling / Resourcing Challenges (7/10) The next day, Fiona emailed, with apologies that no one would be coming in the next few days. It might be the end of the next week before another team could come. (Ouch!) She assured me that the work “would be done right, as soon as we can make it happen.” Compared to each of my previous two excellent experiences with CBS, this scheduling / resourcing disconnect fell below my expectations. Happily, on Monday morning, I got a call that a team was suddenly available and could come the next day. Thanks to Production for arranging a work team. Work Team B (10/10) Rob, Kevin and Joe T. came and finished the work. Trenches were dug quickly. Kudos to the team for their high quality work. They took steps to keep dust controlled while jack-hammering trenches (plastic sheeting on stairs, as well as blower). Rob is an excellent communicator whose friendly, positive, and practical approach was mirrored by Kevin and Joe. The team members worked well together, and were very helpful. The work area was left clean on job completion.

A review for Clarke Basement Systems

This is the second house in which we’ve used Clarke Basement Systems. We are confident in the quality of their work and products. These folks say what they’ll do and they do what they say. This summer, we moved to a rural area, 3.5 hours north of Toronto. The older house was built with weeping tile under the basement slab, draining into a sump (no pump). The previous homeowner did a lot of work to divert water away from the outside of the house. Still, the finished basement was damp and musty. We were glad to learn that Clarke Basement Systems covered this area and we contacted them for assistance. We opened up finished basement walls, in advance of the initial inspection, and to prepare the basement for the planned work. We found plenty of mold and even wood framing rotted from years of exposure to water. As arranged, Chris Luke came right on schedule, to inspect, review our needs, and provide us with an estimate. He patiently explained various options to us as we decided on the work. We appreciated his depth of experience and suggestions. Two weeks later, the installation team arrived as scheduled. Rob, Noel and Joe T. were simply outstanding. Rob’s friendly, positive attitude and clear explanations made him, and his team, a pleasure to work with. Rob led his team with the same cheerfulness and it set the tone for the work. Noel brought his expertise installing these systems. His finished cement work looks good. It is still a reminder of the care he put into his efforts. Joe T. was an eager and energetic team member. The three of them did a great job and left the basement space very clean. I am grateful to Mark Doherty, Clarke Basement Systems’ Production Manager. Mark provided valuable phone support on several occasions as I worked with the local Building Inspector to reframe and re-insulate the basement (using steel studs, Roxul) after the Waterguard was installed. Mark patiently answered many questions, shared practical wisdom and helped me resolve some key issues. Since installing the Waterguard system, we’ve learned that the water table in this area can be high at different times through the year. There are also underground springs nearby. I am confident that water will not enter the basement through the walls. As I write this note, the pump has been cycling periodically for the past few days, clearing water from the sump. This is just a mild spell in mid-December and the water table level has risen with the snow melt. From inspection, I know this water is not coming through the basement walls, but via the weeping tile. I am glad to have this system in place. We have the potential to install lateral drains in future, connected back into the perimeter drain, in case we find water is seeping up through the slab. We are very impressed with all aspects of this experience: initial contact, estimating, scheduling, installation work, communication and follow-up support. I highly recommend Clarke Basement Systems and their team of professionals. Paul Beattie South River, ON