Clarke Basement Systems

My home is almost 50 yrs old. and I live alone (senior). After heavy rainfalls recently, a crack developed in my foundation and my Ins co. advised it was not covered and I would have to have a contractor. A friend told me about Clarke Basement. I called and an apt. was set up, and now to my review,

On April 1st( the apptm) a gentleman came and introduced himself as Emilio Aceti from Clarke. I told him I had read the literature that was sent to me and was very impressed. He reviewd my problem and was very explicit. Finally, he told me his estimate and I started to cry.

I embarrassed the poor man and quickly told him it was tears of joy that I could afford the work and it will be done tomorrow. I just want to say Emilio is a class A gentleman and salesman, coming fom a senior who is very sceptical and thought he was playing an April fool's joke on me, we need more like him in this world.

Clarke Basement Systems quickly and cleanly repaired our basement leak from the inside. It took only a few hours and the price was lower than I expected. So far so good - no more leak!

I would like to thank these two wonderful guys with helping me with my job. They are the best and they did an excellent job. Thank you again and I appreciate everything they had done for me.

For a few months I have been having water problems in a corner in the basement. I eventually discovered the damage was becoming extensive and there was mold growth. John from Clarke was the third person to have a look and he discovered that it was just a leaky hot water tank (repair = $0 my lucky day). Although I feel that the other two companies would have done a good job, they would have done a needless and expensive job whereas John took that extra moment to really investigate the problem, instead of jumping to conclusions. That was really appreciated. Thanks!!!!!!

After purchasing our 1925 home in the fall, we called Clarke for an assessment on the work required to deal with damp in our unfinished basement. We were given plenty of advice against going with an internal waterproofing system, including from the City of Toronto, but decided, based on cost and reputation, to take a chance.

Ryan was our Clarke salesperson. He was very personable and always answered our questions. On his initial visit, he underestimated how much work would be required as after a few weeks and a big rain, we discovered water leaking under the basement stairs and around the perimeter. Ryan then reassessed and, based on the revised cost, we dropped the idea of purchasing their very expensive floor tile and dehumidifier. We booked them to install a drainage system around the inside perimeter of the basement as well as a sump pump.

Unfortunately, Ryan did not clearly communicate all the details. For example: the sump pump does not come with a battery back up – that’s another $1250. An updated invoice with additional costs to remove and waterproof behind the stairs did not get to us because Ryan’s laptop failed, and he did not follow up to okay this new price. We weren’t told straight up that it would cost $650 for Clarke to return in the spring to bury the 10’ discharge pipe from the sump pump, currently running out over our back patio. We have had to agree to disagree on whether their production manager actually explained this once the job had been done. The contract mentions it in small print, but neither one of us understood what it really meant. Finally, they don’t tell you until after the fact that it is “normal” for cracks to appear between the concrete they lay and your original concrete floor.

The work was done in January and it is now late-March. Thankfully, so far, the basement is dry and we are now making plans to finish the space.

For a company that comes so highly recommended – on Homestars and according to the customer testimonials sent to us by Clarke – we expected a higher quality of service and communication. In our experience, their different departments did not communicate with each other well, and their follow-up once a job has been done is poor.

They do provide a very detailed contract, so the best thing we can advise is make sure you’ve definitely got the final paperwork before the job is done, confirm exactly what it’s all going to cost, and READ THE FINE PRINT!

Roy was very helpful and answered all our questions. We had water leaking through the wall. The crack is now sealed and no more water anywhere. I would recommend Clark Basements Systems.

Thanks to Sammy and crew of Clarke Basements, our dark dreary cold room has been transformed to a dry, bright storage area. Done in a day, on time, no hassles. Crews were polite and clean. We should have done it sooner. As we look to sell our home, this room will be a showpiece, not an eyesore.

We had a 'pre-Clarke' old basement system sump but when it failed and our basement flooded, (our fault not theirs) Clarke Basement Systems arrived within 2 hours of our call, pumped out the overflow and fixed the problem. They have now installed a backup system for the sump and dehumidifier for us. Excellent service, highly recommend!

After a severe February thaw our worst fears were realized when we discovered wetness in an area that was not yet dealt with. In conjunction with the repair it was suggested that we purchase a Sani Dry high performance dehumidifier. Amazing purchase. Basement feels and looks different. Thanks for the recommendation.

The basement of a century old house, wet for many, many years proved no match for the Basement Environment Specialists from Clarke Basement Systems. They gave me a written proposal; arrived on time and completed the job in less time than expected. When they left the job, a dank, wet, mouldy cellar with a low ceiling, had been transformed into much brighter cleaner, and most importantly dryer rooms with very little disruption to our household.
The 3 man crew was professional, friendly, informative and helpful.
This method proved to be far less costly and disruptive than conventional exterior excavation and the interior finish is clean and bright.