Asking all contractors: What are your thoughts on the Owens Corning basement system. We have been asked by a few customers about use in their basement. I have mixed emotions about it. The panels go to the ceiling so you have access to the pipes etc. But what are your thoughts about effectiveness in homes with water problems? Would appreciate your insights and opinions!
Troy
That's a great question Chris. I think it depends. I think their basement system is really clever and I see a lot of use cases. I like the fact that its modular and lightweight. Seems easy to install (but we are not installers so I may be wrong) Think a basement that has never been finished and doesn't have any water problems, and is not expecting any. I am sure there are many homes where its a great solution. Here in New Jersey, we keep getting more calls every year from people after a strong rain looking to do remediation (which we don't do) which tells us that water is an increasing problem in basements here. The sewer and drainage systems were built a hundred years ago, and even new ones are built based on the calculations from 50-100 years ago. With the strong rains we have been having, they can be overwhelmed easily. I personally don't see this getting better, but worse. We have started to install french drains outside of homes (which we didn't used to) and put additional sump pumps for people who only have one in their basement (potential for failure and being overwhelmed). So, for us, its not something we would recommend, but as I said it probably has lot of use elsewhere.
Brett - Patch2Paint, New Jersey