Is there really any effective way to do this from inside the house? Once I got the basement (of my investment property) clear enough to see the walls I found a few leaks.
I’ve had two companys out to look at the problem and both contradicted the other. One said he could easily (and more cost effectively) fix it from inside. The other said (and I agree with this) that you only divert the water when you repair it from the inside and recomends digging around the house and repairing it from outside.
BTW this is a block foundation not poured.
Anyone have any experience/advice with either system?
I know part of the water issue is a bad downspout and a porch that is coming away from the house. Could those be my only problems? The pitch from the house is pretty good.
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Bad downspouts etc... and bad grading always end up causing some kind of problem. Fix these anyway since if you do and it stops you used the least expensive possible fix. If you do them and it doesn't stop you at least prevented future problems.
"that you only divert the water when you repair it from the inside "
I thought the same, but with my last rehab I had a similiar situation that I fixed from inside. Multiple cracks at the corner of the basement and a large puddle after each rain. I drilled 1/4" holes every two or so inches along the cracks. Had about a dozen holes in all. I then used "Great Stuff" foam and stuck the tube in each hole. One can per every two holes. The foam will leak from the hole but will also close up the area behind. This was inexpensive and did a great job. I also finished the job by using water resistant paint on all the walls.
Friends joked that the foam might lift the house... wouldn't be too surprised :)
I also had clogged downspouts. Those were fixed, and that helped partially.
I second checking downspouts and grading, insure the spouts have an extension on the bottom ell and that it's sloped properly. Check any plumbing overhead.
I know its not plumbing. I sat and watched (in two spots) water flow in through the brick. I saw that about a half hour into a hard rain. I'd really like to think that its as simple as grading and the down spout, but it looks too wet in this corner.
The other problem is that if rebuild the porch and it still leaks I have to take the porch out to repair the problem (if done from outside).
How's the exterior mortar? Water getting in through cracks or a window above letting water in around the flashing then down into the inside? Yeah fix before putting on a porch or sealing the basement.
I saw it coming in through the brick about 1 foot from the ground. I think i've found a good price to get it repaired though. The walls will be parged, tared, and rubber membraned, & new pea gravel around the drain pipe.
Sounds like a good fix if repointing won't do or you want to be 100%, which is a good thing. If you can, hold off on finishing the basement until the outside work is down and you get a good rain. Once fixed, give the basment walls a good coat, Drylock is one brand, then go to town.
I always try to do 100%. I was told by the arch and my realtor that if done right I should be able to pull some good numbers out of this house. I got the house for almost nothing so I can afford to put a little more into this one. If i'm gonna sell high its got to be right.
I dont plan to finish the basement, but it will at least get a paint job.
What was the guy that was going to do it from the inside going to use???
I have some stuff coming in at the floor/wall joint that i would like to seal...
How far down the wall is the leak?
If my house wasn't a 100 years old... there would go a really fine hobby.
looks to be coming at the where the floor meets the wall...I have not seen it when it is actively leaking, I just get a puddle on the floor . Its a rental and I haven't lived there for 40 years or so..Fortunately its in the furnace room so no one screams. but the mold thing scares the hell outta me...House was built in early teens I think..
I have a couple of friends who do concrete repair and waterproofing.
They told me with their system, they bust out a trough around the floor along the base of the wall and connect down to the sump pump......I think they dig down to the footer. Then they put in this tube that has some type of wicking fabric fingers in the trough, and fill the hole back up and crete over top.
I've been in a couple of basements that before and after they did it, and it works like a charm! They do some other wall mebranes and things too if nessecary.
Can't remember the product name, I'll have to look into it---
When in doubt, get a bigger hammer!
Hey that system is called hydroway........I found the website, and I didn't describe it exactly------but you can see for your self.
http://www.tristateconcrete.com/ Got to waterproofing and click instilations
When in doubt, get a bigger hammer!
The guy that wanted to fix from inside was gonna run another drain system inside w/ some sort of membrane. The problems are that it still lets water through the brick and my block is sitting on the floor so I was told the floor shouldnt be cut.
Yea I talked to some guy who wanted to do the cut the floor and put in a sump pump....I was tryin to not do that...
Might get some thoroseal and parge the wall and the floor/walljoint. or maybe some roofing tar...I am in the desert for all intents...we get 15in of moisture a year....Otta be easier than all that diggin and cuttin...
Sounds as though he wants to treat the symptom and not the cause. Keep the water out first unless it's coming up from below.
Strictly anecdotal, but we've had pretty good luck with injecting epoxy into the seam between footing, wall, and slab (or any cold joints). The guy drills holes at an angle into the slab till he reaches the footing, injects epoxy until it fills up everywhere it can. Seems to work. We did this mainly for insurance of other damp proofing. Once it was because proper remediation was several months away and we didn't want the water in the basement during the intervening time. The other time it was after other remediation and we no longer saw any moisture, but wanted to close the wall back up, it so wanted a little extra 'just in case'.