Replies

1. 
   gfretwell | Dec 08, 2011 11:22am | #1

   Basements are indoor swimming pools. That is particularly true anywhere that has a high ground water table.

   You can start with the easy stuff like being sure the ground drains away from the house, that the down spouts from the roof drain well away from the walls etc. There are a number of schemes to seal the walls that don't work all that well. The next step is usually trenching, putting in a gravel bed and a sump pump. Then you worry about a power faiilure.

   After watching this 5 year show at my sister's house in the 60s I vowed to never have a basement.

2. 
   glacierfergus | Dec 08, 2011 12:07pm | #2

   More info needed...

   I assume that the rough in you are talking about is for a potential toilet or tub/shower in the basement. Is there a trap?

   Is the water clear, relatively clean? Is it sewer water that is coming back up into the basement? Are you on a septic or hooked up to municipal sewer?

   How old is this house? Older houses often have clay pipe for the main sewer drain, and clay pipe is easily invaded by roots. Same goes for paper pipe or old cast iron that has rusted out. I assume that if you have had someone out to look at it they have scoped or rotorooted the main sewer line.... A slow sewer line will back up water into the basement when you are running lots of water upstairs (laundry day, holidays with lots of guests, etc.)

3. 
   DanH | Dec 08, 2011 10:21pm | #3

   Yep, you need to figure out the source of the water.  There are essentially 3 possibilities:

   1. The roughed-in sewer is backing up (due to a partial clog downstream) and leaking through the rough-in plug or through bad joints near the rough-in opening.

   2. Water pipes (if also under the slab) are leaking.

   3. Ground water is coming in, either simply through cracks, or through a backed-up tile system under the slab.

   It would help to know if the leakage at all correlates with rainfall (though even if it does the sewer isn't off the hook if storm water drains into the sewer).

   It would also help to know the age and location of the house.