Steve Andras, CWS, CSRS

My days of jack hammering basement floors are long gone. I learned about the “basement waterproofing” business while living in Akron, Ohio in the late 1970’s.  I learned this trade from the ground up at the young age of 22.

I recall those early days of my career when I would carrying two 5 gallon buckets of mud and broken pieces of concrete out of a basement and in to a truck. I remember days when I thought my arms were going to fall off. It was a hard physical job and one I didn’t mind. Most of what I learned in those first few years was by trial and error.

Now after 32 years in the “basement waterproofing” business I can only say that “basement waterproofing” has matured into a respectable industry that has provide millions of people with healthier homes.  Even my own “basement waterproofing” company has helped over 40,000 homeowners in Massachusetts and Rhode Island.

“Basement waterproofing” companies that I come in contact with today fall into 2 major groups – Givers and Takers. The Givers work hard at their business because they truly want to help their customers solve a major problem in their home.  Most in the “basement waterproofing” field do care about doing a good job for their customers.

Of course, like in all industries, some  “basement waterproofing” companies are in the business for one purpose and that is to make money. I call these companies – Takers. See, the Takers are totally in it for themselves and could care less about their customers.

Today, more than ever before, I feel compelled to share my feelings about my fellow peers in this so called “basement waterproofing” industry. During the last 32 years I have seen it all when it comes to this business. I will tell you that I am committed to this industry and my wife will tell you I should be “committed”. I believe at some point, I fell in love with the work I did. I enjoyed helping people and seeing their happy faces at the end of the job when they got to see their basement dry for the very first time.

I am on a mission to help others in my industry to learn from the trials and errors I have experienced over the last 32 years. “Basement Drainers” (a better description of what our industry actually does) need help and advice as to some of the pitfalls they will experience during their early years.

It is to the Givers that I want to share this advice with because I truly want them to have all this knowledge and wisdom so that they can help their customers better. The Takers will also hear this advice and probably find a way to use the information to benefit themselves in some way -thinking very little about their customers. That being said, I choose to share this knowledge with all “Basement Drainers” whether they are Givers or Takers hoping that the information will help many to serve their customers better. This is my personal advice and I am sure there are “basement waterproofing” companies out there that will totally disagree with me. I am ok with that – disagreement encourages discussion and discussion is how we learn from one another.

Ten Steps To A Successful “Basement Health Company”:

1. Make a pledge to always “do the right thing for the customer”.
2. Find the right employees who really care about helping others
3. As a business owner, delegate what you do but make employees accountable through a system
4. Make everyone in your company pay attention to details
5. Build a united team within your company who care about one another
6. As the owner make sure you would be willing to do any job you ask your employee to do
7. Develop a service department – protect your customer and limit your liability while adding another revenue stream
8. Tell others your core story, speak your vision for your company, and don’t let anyone ever forget what you do
9. Create a culture of discipline that allows employees to contribute their thoughts and energy to improve their job so they can help people even better.

10. Have a contagious passion for helping people by alerting them to the dangers of an unhealthy basement and providing them healthy solutions to their problem.

That’s it. Did you notice that it is all about people caring for people?  To young Basement Drainers, remember 50% of businesses fail within the first 5 years. It can be very difficult in those early years. It is important to remember the bigger picture of your vision. Keep working toward it each day.  You may work 60 hours a week and when you figure it all out, you find out your working for below minimum wage and no overtime.

That may not sound like a great career, but keep looking at your vision and how it will be when you get everyone to see it. It is amazing how much we can influence people for good.

Finally, remember some things are beyond our control. For example, I pray the United States Government will continue to allow its visionary citizens the ability to create businesses that will keep our citizens working at things worthwhile and being rewarded for it. I feel sad at this time after all my 32 years working  (many of the first few years making under minimum wage). All the sacrifices I made to build a business to help people – both employees and customers and now because I have some success and money to help more people, the government wants to tax me more in order to spread the wealth.  Honestly, I feel I have earned the right to decide how I spread my wealth. It is getting discouraging to see the Government make me as a successful businessman look like the cause of our Government’s budget problems. Business builders are not the problem in America.

If I ran my company the way Congress and the President have run the United States over the last 16 years, I would be out of business. Imagine a government that tells its citizens to watch their spending and save their money and here look at the example they are setting for us.

So Young Basement Drainers – Work and do the right thing for your customers and keep alert to things around you that can cause your business to fail. Remember if you really do care about your customers you will do everything within you power to protect the business you have built, so that it will be able to continue helping others.

Healthcare is a hot topic nowadays and rightfully so. Our healthcare system certainly needs some reform. While the United States has the best quality healthcare in the world our government must do more in the way of educating the general public as to preventative care.

Let me give you an example of what I mean. We as a country have known about the risk that many of our citizens have when it comes to radon. Radon is an odorless gas that enters the lower levels of homes and if the concentrations are high enough it can cause the inhabitants to be at high risk of radon induced lung cancer.

I will admit that the EPA has many informative pamphlets encouraging homeowners to test their homes and recommend radon mitigation if the levels of radon are above 4 pc/l. Yet since the 1980’s our government has not really stepped up to the plate and taken a lead in protecting its citizens. Why hasn’t more been done to educate the general public about radon and its risks?

I believe that Washington has listened to lobbyists who represent the Real Estate industry and other industries who don’t want to have radon interfere with their profits.  Why does our government require termite inspections and smoke alarms installed – but not require disclosures before a home is sold if it has high levels of radon present?

Let’s do some math – It is estimated that 8 million homes in America have higher levels of radon than the EPA action level. If we say that the average home has 4 people living in it there would be 32 million people at risk. With all the money the government paid to save Wall Street, the Banks and the Auto Industry, why could it not spend $5.00 per home to help homeowners test for radon. Would it not be cheaper to do this than having to tax the healthcare system with years of expensive medical treatment that is required to beat lung cancer? Perhaps even have a program to help homeowners if they need financial assistance to have their homes mitigated if high levels were found?

It is estimated that 21,000 people a year die of radon induced lung cancer in the United States. Some even feel that figure is too low. Lung cancer is very expensive to treat. Instead of spending these dollars treating this deadly disease, why can’t our government educate it citizens so they would lower their risks of even getting the disease.

In January, 2009 a brave young woman named Elizabeth Hoffman who herself was dying of cancer caused by high levels of radon in her home, went before Congress to encourage them to pass the Radon Awareness Act of 2009. She felt that if someone had told her about radon and she had tested her home before she moved in – her cancer could have been prevented.

Radon is not the only problem that our government is dragging its feet on; we also have the problem of excessive soil moisture under many of our homes which can affect the health of many of our citizens. Ground humidity and moisture entering the basement environment of many of our homes are a contributing factor to many of our ailments like asthma and other lung diseases.

Doctors need to start looking at the condition of their patient’s basements. Instead of just writing prescriptions why not help their patient to treat the cause not just the effect?  We as a nation can do much to lower our health care costs while at the same time improve the quality of life of millions of our fellow citizens. Please join me in spreading the message of the importance of a healthy basement. Harriette M Plunkett said in her book “Women, Plumbers and Doctors written in 1884 “ If the reader thinks we are “staying down cellar” too long, the answer is that is the vital portion of a truly sanitary house – if it is faulty, no amount of care above the ground – floor can neutralize its evil effects.”

It seems that even in the late 1800’s people were aware of the dangers of an unhealthy, damp, wet basement. Where did we go astray? Why is the message of the importance of a healthy basement not taught in schools and colleges? Please understand that I am not complaining about the country I love so much, I am complaining that our society led by our government has forgotten that we can do so much if we just educate our fellow citizens of the dangers that lurk in the space below where they spend most of their time.

We spend much time and attention on protecting our environment and rightfully so. Much has been done to educate the public about global warming and pollution – All I ask is that we put the same time and effort into educating people about the dangers that can exist below their living space.