View Full Version : Block Basement Repair?
thumpp
Feb 12, 2008, 03:57 PM
I have recently purchased a 135 yr old house.
There was minimal water leakage in the basement & it was not a problem.
Unfortunately, we have now discovered another leak in the opposite end of the basement. It is located in the finished Rec room & soaked about a 1/4 of the rug.
Before I start ripping up rug & underpad & removing trim & panelling I was wondering if anyone had some advice on the proper way to repair a block basement.
Any help would be appreciated.
Thanks
thumpp
hkstroud
Feb 12, 2008, 09:41 PM
By repair a block wall I assume that you mean stop the water from coming into your basement.
There are two basic approaches to this. The first and most expensive is to dig up the earth around your home down to the foundation. Seal the outside of the blocks with a sealer and waterproof membrane. Install footer drainage pipe and drain to daylight or install a sump pump and pump the water back up to surface level and so it can run off. This approach is the most effective and also the most expensive.
The second approach is to cut away a section of the floor around the inner perimeter of the basement, excavate down to the footer and install drainage piping and a sump pump. Some times you can get away with just installing a sump if the water is confine to a specific area.
Before doing any thing you should check you gutters and down spouts to insure that they are clear and functioning. You should have splash blocks under each down spout as a minium. Piping the down spouts to carry the water away from the house is much better. Check the grading around the house to insure that you have good run off rain water. A lot of rain water falls on your roof and it all comes down the down spouts.
The water can be the rain water that fell on you house and property, soaked into the ground and found its way into your basement. It could be rain that fell on your neighbors property, soaked into the ground and is looking for a path to the nearest river or lake on it's way to the sea. It could even be water that fell in the mountains making its way to the sea and your house is blocking its path. If is very difficult to block water out. It is much easier to divert it. That is what you are doing with the drainage pipe. You are giving it an easier path to follow than coming in through you walls or foundation.
Check those gutters and down spouts, install under ground piping to carry the water far away if possible. Check the grading. Consider weather or not you could dig up the earth down to about 4-6" an install plastic sheathing about 3 or 4 feet wide to prevent rain from getting in the ground immediately next you basement walls. You would be surprised how effective these measures can be.
ballengerb1
Feb 13, 2008, 09:02 AM
Harold gave you some excellent options to consider. Here is one additional option but I don't recall you mentioning a sump pump, you'll need one for this to work. http://www.bdws.com/