The Crackman Podcast

If you are a DIYer and installing a sump pump and liner/basin, it's crucial to get the size right. In this episode, the Crackman explains how to properly size them.

We're heading into thunderstorm season so the Crackman thought this might be a good time to remind people what to do to keep their basement from flooding when a major rain storm approaches.

It's Spring! It's a great time of the year: mild weather, flowers, tree leaves filling in...and it's also the busiest time of the year for landscaping. People often embark on these great projects to redo flower beds or plant trees and shrubs around the house. In this episode the Crackman offers best practices when it comes to landscaping and avoiding basement water issues as a result.

John from Dedham Massachusetts asks the Crackman: "Why Does My Sump Pump Keep Burning Out?"

Lally columns are one of those hidden "gotchas" found by home inspectors all the time. In this episode, Rich talks about what home inspectors are looking for so your home sale won't be unnecessarily delayed.

We've done a lot of podcasts where the Crackman has covered extensively how often he serves the real estate market for both real estate agents and homeowners. In this episode he discusses how a wet basement can lower the value of a home and make it tough to sell.

A quick tip from the Crackman if you have basement water or moisture problems.

As Spring Showers increase the amount of ground water around houses, homeowners are likely to spot leaks in their basements. And as many of them do, they'll decide to fix it themselves with home remedies they find in stores like Lowes and Home Depot. And what happens when they get there? They grab the guy walking the aisle and ask his opinion of what will work. He points to the caulk or the cement...

Yes, homeowners procrastinate when it comes to fixing problems, even when it comes to basement water problems. In this episode, the Crackman offers his top 4 reasons for fixing basement cracks right away.

After a period of heavy snow, winter is giving way to warmer weather, which means melting snow can be a real problem for homeowners with basements. In this episode, the Crackman discusses 3 ways to keep water out of your basement during snow melt.

Imagine that you are a homeowner or real estate agent about to close on the sale of a house and your deal dies a horrible death all because of a tiny basement crack that has suddenly sprung a leak. In this episode, the Crackman shares sage advice on how to keep that from happening to you.

As we've discussed many times before, homeowners are likely to try DIY methods before calling a pro for most crack problems. Hydraulic cement is one of those do-it-yourself methods the Crackman runs into quite a bit. In this episode, he shares a humorous story about one such incident and why hydraulic cement isn't a permanent fix.

During his many years in the field, The Crackman has run into some pretty interesting solutions for lally columns. Many of the DIY solutions for lally columns he has found fail to pass home inspection. Listen in to see what you should and should not use for lally columns.

It can be horrifying to descend into your basement and find it flooded. In this episode, the Crackman shares a 7-step process for what to do when you have a flooded basement.

We just checked the weather report and it looks like the Northeast is going to get pounded with a blizzard. If you're a homeowner, you need to get stepping and make sure you're ready for it. In this episode, the Crackman shares 5 essential tips that will ensure the basement isn't the first casualty of a major storm.

As we celebrate the 100th episode of the Crackman Podcast, the Crackman recounts the story of a seemingly possessed sump pump and the unlikely source of the problem.

So, you're about to spend a bundle on refinishing your basement. You may be thinking that if you're hiring a professional builder, it's going to be LIKE NEW and you shouldn't expect to see any water issues for a long, long time. Well...maybe you should listen t this podcast to avoid a few common mistakes.

Here is another Crackman case study that is a great example of how he helps real estate agents and homeowners make their closing date by diagnosing and fixing basement water problems at the 11th hour.

We posted a blog a few weeks ago with an amazing video captured by a customer of water literally squirting out of the foundation wall. In this episode, the Crackman tells us all about it and what he did to plug the multiple squirting holes.

Whenever the Crackman gets a call about a basement water problem there is a little bit of sleuthing that goes into figuring out where the water is coming from. This podcast is dedicated to the most common source.

Should foundation crack repairs be fixed from the inside or the outside? The Crackman sets the record straight.

The Crackman shares a case study in this episode that parallels with a disastrous cave-in he read about where someone fell through their porch barely avoiding death.

In this episode, the Crackman recounts a recent job where a large building firm in Utah contacted him to solve a problem at a recycling plant construction project.

Is the Crackman doing palm and psychic readings as a side business or are DIYers so predictable that Rich knows all the common home crack repair techniques that usually fail? Tune in to find out.

When it comes to Basement Waterproofing paints, it's a case of pros and cons. In this episode, the Crackman reveals when he WOULD and when he WOULD NOT use basement waterproofing paints and why.