The Crackman Podcast

Okay so you've heard of dally, galley, rally, and even a girl named Sally. But what in the world is a "lally?" Well here's a history lesson. It was in the late 1800s, and a guy named John Lally was upset and bewildered by buildings collapsing as a result of fires or inadequate support. So, he was in search of a solution. Then lo and behold...in 1898, in the town of Waltham, Massachusetts, a steel beam support column was invented by none other than John Lally, hence the name lally columns. In this episode we talk about what kinds of Lally columns are out there, their problems with leaks, and how to solve water issue related to lally's.

There was an article in last Sundayâ??s MetroWest Daily News, written by Zachary Comeau, titled â??Towns struggle to track missing waterâ??. The article highlighted 13 MetroWest towns throughout Massachusetts (Ashland, Medway, Hopkinton, Bellingham, Framingham, Holliston, Milford, Sudbury, Franklin, Hopedale, Natick, Southborough, & Northborough) and their trouble with water that is unaccounted for. According to the Department of Environmental Protectionâ??s water conservation standards, 10% is the maximum threshold of unaccounted water for any one community. Out of the 13 towns, Ashland was the worst of the group with 28% of unaccounted water, while Northborough was the lightest offender with only 5% of its water unaccounted for. The other towns who were above the 10% threshold were Milford (14%), Holliston (15%), Framingham (19%), Bellingham (20%), and Medway (22%). In this podcast, Rich talks about how infrastructure issues lead to unaccounted water and how it can affect you, the homeowner.

For many different reasons, water can pool beneath a basement floor. But just like in the martial arts where you have a variety of combat practices, people fighting basement water swear that their technique kicks butt over all the rest. In this episode, we pit the two juggernauts of basement waterproofing techniques--sump pumps and french drains -- in a head-to-head battle to see which solution is the champion.

Chimney leaks can either exist above grade...at the roof...or below grade. In this episode the Crackman discusses ways water can enter the house via the chimney and what to do about it.

Believe it or not, basements can still accumulate moisture, even when it hasn't rained for weeks! In this episode, we discuss how that can happen and what to do about it.

In this episode we learn what a cold joint is in a basement foundation, how to identify it, and what should be done about it.

In this episode, the Crackman discusses Leaking Tie Rods, Snap Ties, and Pinholes in Basement Foundation Walls and how to repair and maintain them.

Garage floor cracks are just as prevalent as foundation and basement floor cracks. The episode discusses how garage floor cracks are formed and what you can and should do about them.

This episode discusses the types of pipes you typically see going through a foundation, how to detect leaky pipe penetrations, and what to do about leaks when you find them.

There are 3 absolute certainties in life: death, taxes and cracks forming in concrete. So, when it comes to foundations, homeowners should expect them to crack. This episode explains why they crack and what to do about them.

This episode discusses what a Fieldstone Foundation is and how you can keep it strong, healthy, and dry.

So you think you have a really good home insurance policy. Well, if you haven't looked at the fine print lately, check again. It probably does not cover basement flooding as well as you think. This episode reveals how to protect yourself from this tremendous risk.

So you have a leaky foundation crack. All you need to do is go to a hardware store and buy one of those do-it-yourself products and bang! You fixed it, right? Probably not. This podcast talks about the most common DIY products and how they are a temporary fix at best.

What should a homeowner do if they go downstairs and their basement is actively leaking? Tune in to this extremely informative podcast to find out.

In this episode, The Crackman reveals 6 key ways to protect your home and basement from the onslaught of winter snow melt.