Free Basement Completed for Fort Atkinson Couple

Just three months after winning a free basement remodel to repair flood damage to their basement, Bob and Joanne Smith now have a brand new basement to enjoy. Thanks to Badger Basement Systems, a local basement waterproofing company, the Smiths can feel some type of normalcy again after the destructive 2008 floods struck the home they've been living in for 40 years.

In May, Badger Basement Systems held a contest open to anyone who sustained damage to a basement as a result of last summer's record floods. There were many entries in the contest, but the Smiths received the most nominations due to the severity of the damage to their home, as well as their active involvement and volunteering in the community. Staff from Badger surprised the couple at their home with balloons and presented them with the free basement renovation.

Neighbors wrote in nominating the couple explaining that the flooding in the basement was so severe, pumps couldn't keep up. Water from the ground was seeping in through the walls of the 100-year-old house. They had to stop pumping out water or the walls would collapse from the pressure. Within a few hours they had 42 inches of water in the basement and they were forced to evacuate the house for a couple of weeks. Although neighbors pitched in to help out, the basement was still ruined.

With a crew of eight Badger staff members, construction began the morning of August 28. They installed a 145-foot perimeter system with some Trench Drains, a SuperSump sump pump, and a buried discharge. The crew started at 8 a.m. and finished cleaning up at 2:30 p.m. After going through the harrowing ordeal of a flooded basement, the Smiths were extremely happy that their basement was fixed again and that Badger was able to finish in just one day.