Testimonials for Island Basement Systems

Thank you for sending this along! Tavis was here from Amerispec to re-evaluate the airflow after what I've done so far... And we've gone from 2700 odd units of air flow at max vacuum, to 1600 and some! He was impressed. Still loving your work, and the info you've left me with. I've almost finished the headers and have the insulation batts for the walls downstairs! Thank you again! Bonnie

Your professional and informative staff and presentation and the system just seemed to make sense.  Thank you!

To: Chris Schmidt, ISLAND BASEMENT SYSTEMS. After nearly a year of useless frustration, it seemed we were going to be vulnerable--like last January--to flooding in our utility room and crawl space. Broken promises by three different drain specialists had not helped our peace of mind!  Our first glimmer of hope came with the Shell Busey radio show--where Lois heard of Island Basement Systems. With doubts, we contacted their local sales representative, and in one long visit--contracted with them to solve our problems. From December 3--6, 2007; we shared our home with  two of their employees: Jesse Dares, and Joshua Hardy. This letter is for them, and about them. From the first moment of meeting Jesse Dares, Lois and I were impressed by his punctuality, candor,  and knowledge of water drainage issues. By the end of that day, we reached the conclusion--independently--that Jesse was a diligent and thorough worker. The second day, Jesse was joined by Joshua Hardy; and the two of them continued to display these fine qualities. We were to learn that both gentlemen had superb communication skills, patience, and educative talents. What they were doing was NEVER a mystery to us; reassurance was built into their display of hard work, answering our many questions, and good humor even through days lasting up to 12 hours. Lois and I are senior citizens-- with the same fears, misgivings, doubts, and--in our case--a year of dismal nonperformance from the local tradesmen who dealt with Flooded basements. Our doubts gradually vanished, our misgivings were removed; and we came to be vastly impressed with the work ethic, the knowledge, the communication skills, and--most of all--the scientific work behind what they were doing. Bear in mind that their work involved jack-hammering through the cement in our utility room, creating chaos in this area, crowding the rest of our home with  the contents of that room, and making inevitable dust. Our gratitude is hard to put into words: perhaps the most eloquent way we may say this is that both of us came to feel that Jesse and Joshua were totally welcome in our home; used our bathrooms, and were trusted as they invaded our dwelling. Both of us would, without reservation, recommend these two gentlemen for whatever task may be assigned to them; and after two twelve hour days, believe that they are unique in their commitment to serve their clientele well and graciously. It is obvious that the final test of their skills will be learning that our house remains dry during the next flooding spell. At this time, we are pleasantly surprised to find that our house stays warmer and the furnace runs much less--due to what they installed.

Dear Peter: Just wanted to take the time to say thank you for the prompt and efficient service you provided when you lined and insulated the crawlspace at our house.I really appreciated you giving us a detailed and accurate estimate of the cost and giving positive suggestions for the best results with no pressures. Since I work I appreciated how you tried to do the job at the most convenient time for me. The crawlspace was a dark and dirty place that had an earthen smell to it and had an amount of assorted bugs but now it is clean, dry and has no earthen smell. It has made a real difference to the whole house. It feels warmer and has a fresher smell to it and I'm sure we'll see a difference in the cost of heating the house. I have told several of our friends about the difference it has made to the house and I would not hesitate to recommend your company to them. Thank you again for the wonderful job you did. Yours truly,K. Richardson

I would like to say thanks for a job well done! Encapsulating our crawlspace and addinginsulation was important to my husband and I. Peter, you and your helper were both courteous and hard working. You made me feel confidentfrom our first meeting. By spending additional time installing the new crawl space entrance youexceeded my expectations. We will be much warmer this winter! Sincerely,Sharon BVictoria, B.C.

Installing an underground drainage system and sump pump in our basement was one of the smartest things we ever did to preserve the value of our house and set our minds at rest. Peter Spaans, the Project Manager, did a great job. He was well organized, neat and tidy, and had the job completed in short order. Why did we wait more than 30 years to eliminate problems with a leaky basement, mildew and flooding?

All the work looks great in the basement. The guys who were here were very thorough and professional!

Hi Peter,My wife and I would like to draw to your attention our admiration and respect for one of your employees, Peter Moon, who recently was responsible for installing the moisture membrane in our crawlspace, #14. Peter was professional in doing the installation but in addition, was a delightful person to talk with and to represent your company. He obviously takes pride is his work and was most conscientious about cleaning up and removing all traces of his being there. Please convey our appreciation for his manner and workmanship to both him and the management of Island Basement Systems.As well, we would like to comment that, while it may be early days yet to assess the effectiveness of the moisture barrier qualities, visitors to the house have commented on the elimination of musty, damp odors that they have noticed in the house on other occasions. We notice that the crawlspace is warmer as well. Thank you,Gary and Bev W.

Thank you very much for the service you and Peter Spaans, Operations Manager, provided in water-proofing my basement this spring. Thank you for going out of your way on a Saturday to assess our basement during the height of the rainy season when widespread flooding was occurring all over the City of Victoria and when no other contractors would even return my calls.I appreciated your patience as you and Peter fielded question after question from me about your proposal while I gathered information to assess and confirm for myself about what needed to be done before I invested in the restoration work. I also appreciated your honesty in advising me what work was essential and what work was not. I believe your system was the right solution for my problem. Both you and Peter were also very professional and always kept in communication with me about scheduling of the work; and that was re-assuring to me. The Triple-Safe sump pump system has been working well. Thank you also for returning to re-plumb the sump pump and addressing any minor outstanding issues; it reflects your commitment to stand firmly behind your work and your warranty.Again, my family and I thank you for your work and advice in waterproofing our home basement. I would not hesitate to refer you to my friends and colleagues and in fact have done just that a couple of times already. I now can enjoy the summer and will wait for the heavy rains next winter to more fully test the effectiveness of the WaterGuard System!Sincerely,M WeiVictoria, B.C.

You guys fixed the crawl space under my house and it held up great during the last storm. So well in fact, that the hydrostatic pressure from the sealed part, makes my below-grade addition the weak link now. So I would like to talk to you about doing the other part of my basement with a sump/rhinomat/cactus board similar to what you have already done (and I am very happy with).

My Experience of Island Basements Science Group As a result of slack building codes and sloppy home construction in this province many homes built on basements and crawl spaces have serious moisture problems that can, if unchecked, lead to mold and fungus. Such outcomes can result in health problems as well as dank odors in the dwelling. Although my spouse could smell the dampness I was unconvinced that there was a problem until we decided to install wood flooring in a part of the house. A humidity check by the installer alerted us to the unacceptable levels of moisture in our floor joists and sub floor. The flooring installation was put on hold. While searching the web for dehumidifiers that might solve the problem I discovered Island Basement Systems. Their website provides an excellent discussion and illustration of dampness problems that occur in unprotected basements and crawl spaces. I was surprised by the scarcity of other websites and firms that could provide the comprehensive discussion and remediation of moisture problems. Their website contains numerous photographs of the problems and their remediation. The website presentation was very well organized along scientific lines that a lay person could understand. There were also numerous positive testimonials from satisfied customers like myself. I was very impressed by the professional manner in which an initial inspection and consultation were provided by a representative of the company. He took numerous humidity readings and photographs of those readings as well as measurements of the crawl space. He used a laptop and portable printer to calculate the areas to be covered along with the cost. I was also shown a short film on the laptop that showed the kind of work to be done. The most alarming discovery for me was the total absence of a vapor barrier beneath the concrete slurry floor in the crawl space. Remediation consisted of the laying of two layers of impermeable material that was incredibly tough. I was able to examine samples of these materials and push and pull them as hard as I could. They were high tech materials that I could not tear or break. The floor and the concrete perimeter walls were covered in one day. The firm also allowed me to borrow a large dehumidifier to accelerate the lowering of humidity. The installers were cheerful, efficient and courteous. It is several months since the work was completed. Our hardwood flooring has been installed and my wife's sensitive nose can no longer detect dampness or mustiness in the air. We also notice that our heating bills have lessened and that the house holds heat better. I believe that there are probably many homes on the island that sit on crawl spaces or basements that have not been properly moisture proofed. Rather than spend money on cheap dehumidifiers that have a limited impact on such moisture problems I am pleased to recommend the above firm as a source of superior solutions to such problems. They provide solutions that work long term by addressing the sources of dampness rather than providing superficial and ineffective treatments. The technicians, installers, managers and office staff of this firm deserve the highest commendation for a service that is much needed on the West Coast of BC. John W. Osborne, Ph.D.

Just a little note to let you know we are very pleased with the work of Island Basement and would like to give an extra special thank you to Jesse. He is very skilled and his workmanship exceptional. He always presented in a very friendly and professional manner and spoke in great respect of your company. Thank you again - all the best.

Dealing with your company was a pleasure. If you need a reference for a doubting client please feel free to use my name.

I am very pleased with the work and the professionalism of the crew. Jon and Peter were always available for any questions and have patiently assured me that I need not worry about flooding in the future. Julie

...It's coming up to 5 years now that I have had the WaterGuard, CleanSpace and TripleSafe pump systems and the system has served us so well!...