OT: waterproofing basement - Marriage Builders® Forums

Call this premature. Or optimistic. However, now that I can see the basement floor in spots, I can see that there is indeed some water when it rains hard. It may be coming in through the window wells.

Since I’m fixing it up as a laundry/project room, I want to stop the water. My first thought was sealing the walls. However, I now hear that sealing the walls can be a bad idea. The water builds up behind the walls, and the pressure finally is stronger than the wall and the wall buckles. I think the grand finale is the whole house collapsing.

I hear the appropriate thing is to add a sump pump.

So, does anyone know anything about this?

A sump pump is only going to help you if the basement floods, aka, if you get a fair amount of water on the floor...... but they are typically located in a recessed location in the laundry room, hence if the washer overflows or something it drains into the sump area......

Sealing the basement walls helps keep down condensation and seepage from normal water levels outside the house...... again unless you are in a flood area of PA or a tidal basin there will not be enough water build up around the outside of the house to create that much pressure..... plus typically in homes in the last 15-20 years they usually have a drain field around the foundation that goes away from the house. This is located around the base of the basement foundation.....

also the outside of the foundation that is underground is usually treated to resist seepage but foundations do crack....

If it is the window well you can tell by filling up the well with water from the hose and then check it both inside and outside to see how quick the water drains from the well outside....and if there is seepage over the sill inside......

Thanks George. My house is 50 years old and not in a flood plain. I get puddles not swimming pools.

Now for vendors. Do you have recommendations? I'm at the southeastern edge of Lancaster Co.

Stack some books by the window wells and see if they get wet <img border="0" title="" alt="[Big Grin]" src="images/icons/grin.gif" />

I have looked into this a little for my house. There are lots of ways you can seal your basement but as GSN said, make sure you have good drainage around the outside of your house.

You may even just have condensation coming up from the floor. A dehumidifier in my basement solved a lot of my moisture problems.

Wow 50 Years old? Vendors for what? Sealing the basement? Go to home depot or Builders.... they carry sealant.... get a Roller and a brush!!!

Oh and before you frame your laundry room (if you plan to) put a moisture barrier behind the 2x4 framing.... Oh and also check the basement area you are finishing for cracks and such..... Another thing you can do.... put dry paper towels at upper and lower levels where you see the puddles..... like along the sill and such, if you find a wet paper towel at any time it will help you to deduce where the leak is coming from...

[ January 26, 2005, 02:05 PM: Message edited by: hanora ]

I'm not framing it out. Sheet rock is too expensive for now.

I have radon, but have a radon fan already installed.

I check the floor seepage as soon as all books are gone. June 3 to be exact if not sooner.

Hi GG:

The "best" way to keep the water out, but it expensive, would be to make sure the drainage around the house is correct. This involves lots of digging, backfilling with gravel, placing drain tile, etc. It "should" have been done during construction, but it may not have been. Also, you would place a barrier on the outside of the foundation. This is the "best" way.

If you talk to a local mason/foundation contractor, they can probably give you an estimate/discuss the options. There is stuff you can paint on the inside of the block...and it seeps in and seals fairly well...but the water on the outside of the wall...as you said...that is the fundamental problem.

Hanora has the perfect approaching for looking for mositure from your slab...plastic and tape.

BP, you seem to be laboring under the same misconception as my children. I am NOT a ATM gone haywire.

Digging up around the foundation is out. But fixing the slope around the house by adding top soil is in. I went out and checked it last night.

See I sometimes listen.

Once the books are out, I'll experiment with the various methods suggested here.

Thanks all.

PS: Anyone know anything about laying floor?

The local Home Depot has classes on laying floors and other home repair classes. This may be a good place to meet men too.

I need to get out more. I feel like I'm on a first name basis with the guys in the local hardware store, and now I'm dreaming about buying and laying sod. I lead such an exciting life.

I’m dreaming of renting a sod taker-upper and removing the zoysiagrass from my lawn, planting daffodils and seeding with Kentucky Blue. I like the Home Depot Idea. But won’t most of them be married? Do single men do home repair? And yard work? My eyes are glassing over. A home repair genius.

Or maybe not.

<blockquote>quote:<hr />Do single men do home repair? <hr /></blockquote>Some men who do home repair are gonna be single <img border="0" title="" alt="[Roll Eyes]" src="images/icons/rolleyes.gif" />

I looked into stuff like what BP mentioned that seeps into the block in your foundation. Some of them will also help with the radon.

The only one I can think of off the top of my head is
<blockquote>quote:<hr /> http://www.radonseal.com/ <hr /></blockquote>Check out the site, there is a lot of information that might be helpfull to you.

WIWH

How dare you mention the D word!
I'm disgusted. I may be the only person who doesn't like seeing those flowers, but everyone has triggers!

[ May 21, 2004, 09:57 AM: Message edited by: WishI WereHome ]

I knew the D word would send you over the edge. I admit it. I used it on PURPOSE!

I watch MP & the Holy Grail on Tues. I think I shall be like the Knights. Only I shall be the Knight who says .... "Daffodil." There, I said it. DAffodil. Now, go get me a shrubbery.

<blockquote>quote:<hr /> I watch MP & the Holy Grail on Tues.<hr /></blockquote>All Time favorite <img border="0" title="" alt="[Big Grin]" src="images/icons/grin.gif" />

You better whatch it or NEwly may pull out the holy handgrenade.

That's why I said it is the most expensive method...and implied you can do other things cheaper...but not as guaranteed...and that you could ask...LOL.

If you have obvious "not" sloping away from the house conditions...and no gutters...so all the water comes off the roof and heads towards the foundation...yep...you are going to be wet unless you have outstanding drainage...and after 50 years...that which was perfect probably no longer will be.

Look up at the source of water too...no spouts leaking or dumping water towards the house, right?

I have gutters and gutter guards, and now I have birds which have decided that the gutters are great places to build their nests.

I can't find a ladder big enough to be able to lift off the gutter guards, so that I can move the nests, then put up screening to keep the birds out.

It's always something, isn't it.

Ladies, feel lucky you have a house to fix up, a yard to take care of, and all that good stuff.... You could have had a Spouse like mine that wanted to just take it all away from you..... <img border="0" title="" alt="[Roll Eyes]" src="images/icons/rolleyes.gif" />

George, Newly and I know we're really lucky. We even talk about it. Some of our luck was paid for up front, but still.

BP, I think not only have I got the wrong slope, I've got clogged gutters! I just found out as I was doing some serious weed wacking. There's a drip from a gutter seam. And it hasn't rained in 36 hours.

I do have a ladder thank goodness! I think that with the obvious stuff taken care of, and a coat of sealant, I should be fine.

Newly, I had those screens and they were more hassle than their worth. I saw a really cool tool to go on a blower. It's a gutter extension! The brand my local hardware store carries is "Echo", I think. I'm sure all the blower and weed wacker people will make them.

Back to raking.

And... braiding Daffodils! See you at 6, Newly.

GG;

I'd like to offer one other suggestion..based on my experiences with old and new homes. I am currently living in our fourth house...Our first was an older home like yours ..built in 1927.

One of the things about homes and water is that it comes from two sources. The first is groundwater. In Lancaster county I would tend to believe that your water table is low, based on your description and knowing the area a bit.

The other source of water is from your roof. Think of the area of your roof and how much water it can catch. This water has to flow somewhere..and so it goes to the gutters and then the down spouts. Down spouts on many homes can be blocked by vegetation...gardens and the like...and often are not directed well away from the foundation.

A simple..and relatively easy thing to do is to see how close your downspouts are from your fomdation..if they empty within two or three feet of your house...they are too close.

To remedy this problem...you will need extensions and I suggest going below ground so as not to interfere with other "outside" uses or potential lawsuits.

First determine the size of the down spouts...go to a Home Despot or where ever...and ask them to show you extensions to connect to perforated PVC pipe...you will want to dig shallow trenches of about six inches deep and about four to five feet from the house...fill the trnches with some pea stone or 2" minus stone...and connect the pieces to the downspout..make sure to get end caps for the PVC...it will prevent dirt from clogging it up...the idea here is to get the water away from the foundation...and let it drain over the length of the pipe...cover the pipe...and re-seed or sod... I have used a different method at differnt houses...and it all depended on what I was working with..I.E...slopes away from the house ...etc....I have dug "dry wells" and used solid pipes with vertical drains at surface level and allowed the run off to go away from the house.

In my experience...downspouts are the biggest culprits in basement water..along with floor cracks..but usually it is downspout drainage away from the house...this is also fairly inexpensive...tho can be a little labor intensive... I recommend this first and then see what happens... I am sure you will mitigate a lot of your problems without having to "paint or excavate the foundation.

Also..very important...make sure your downspouts are clear of vegetation...or other interference...and make sure your gutters are clear of debris...if you have "waterfalls" over your downspouts...this water falls within inches of the foundation.. I recommend getting leaf guards...there are numerous..and inexpensive ones that are easily installed.

Best to You !

GG:
Ok..I admit it..I am a home repair junkie...could be worse ...right?...I have laid <ahem> various floors...what kind of floor do you want to put down... what surface do you want to put it on..i.e..concrete...plywood...particle board... thatwill determine what choices in flooring you can put down and what method to use.

Great ideas, Gregg. Thanks.

And how do I find out what's underneath the vinyl flooring? I know there's a layer of lino. At least, I suppose it's lino. The kitchen was done over only once since it was built.

<blockquote>quote:<hr />Originally posted by greengables:

PS: Anyone know anything about laying floor? <hr /></blockquote>What type of floor are we talking here? I was a hardwood flooring contractor for several years while attending evil engineering school, i may be able to offer advice... <img border="0" title="" alt="[Cool]" src="images/icons/cool.gif" />

<blockquote>quote:<hr />Originally posted by greengables:
 And how do I find out what's underneath the vinyl flooring? I know there's a layer of lino. At least, I suppose it's lino. The kitchen was done over only once since it was built. <hr /></blockquote>In my experience the best way to do it is to pull out an appliance (the stove is generally the lightest) and take a utility knife with the blade out about 1/3 of the way and cut out an 8"x8" square. Peel it up and see what's underneath it. More likely than not if your house is 50 years old, eventually you will run into wood... most likely birch if it is in a kitchen. It may be burried under 2 or 3 layers of vinyl (linolium) and may be covered with a sort of chalky, rubbery black underlayment for the vinyl... but I will lay odds that it is there.

Just MHO... as Rush would say "Intelligence guided by experience."

GG:

I was wondering if MB would let me start a separate Forum for DIY home repairs.LOL.

To find out what is underneath...go to an inconspicuous place on the floor...at the edge where the molding is located. If you have shoe molding(the half or three quarter type that butts up agaist the larger molding along the wall)...take a putty knife..or preferably a small pinch (crow) bar with a nail puller (available every where) and carefully pull the shoe molding away.

BE CAREFUL HERE.

If the molding is older it may be dried out and could crack. Carefully loosen molding and then see if you can peel away the layers of your floor..to determine how many layers and what type of flooring exists.

The type of flooring you want installed will determine the type of sub-floor you must have. Manufactureres have specific recommendations. So heed what they ssay.

In brief (yeah right) , you could lay a luan sub-floor down over the existing floor if you just want vinyl or bamboo or cork floors. (The type of room and traffic also determines the material you should use for maximum wear and care). Decorating (prettiness) is also a factor. Also if you build up the floor...you may not be able to get doors to close.....they will have to be cut ....and you have to pull some but not necessarily all of the molding to put the floor in

If you want tile or ceramic..that requires a backer board made of pre-formed sheets of 1/4, 1/2, 0r 3/4 " thick sheets of concrete. This can also be put over your existing floor...but I personally would not do that..ceramic and tile floors REQUIRE a very rigid and immovable surface to rest on. This mean you would have to go all the way down to the original subfloor and start from there. Also, backer board requires screws and NOT nails. And you need a wet or tile saw to cut it.

Always think about the floor in terms of ease of care...and how soon you might have to do the floor again.

Generally, not always, the cermaics and tile s wear well, but are a little more difficult to install. But well worth the effort. And certainly cleaning is a breeze. Same with vinyl.(Ask about wear layer thickness) As for wood.. a good choice..but I do not recommend "engineered " wood that is laminated. Get the pre-stained solid wood type. More expensive..but well worth it..because it has great durability and can be re-finished many more times than laminates with warranties.

If you could be more specific..about the type of floor you want..I'll be glad to help.

Bob Villa-LOL

Just for clarification...

I was sugesting under an appliance because if you get into this and decide you don't want to replace the floor right away, you can simply move the appliance back and cover the spot without removing any millwork or pulling back the existing flooring in a spot where company could see it. You may decide that once you see the existing wood... you have to have it. Yet, ripping up several layers of vinyl and replacing trim... on top of completely refinishing the wood may be a little bit much for a novice to bite off. It may be worth your while to let it go and save some money for a proffesional.

I’ve got two layers of flooring, but I didn’t hit the subfloor. I chickened out.

One room is the kitchen and the other room is the family room/play room.

<blockquote>quote:<hr />Originally posted by greengables:
 I chickened out.<hr /></blockquote>Why? What have you got to loose now?

I'm wondering where you guys live and if I can rent you out for a day (for home repair work - that is!)

I am blessed to have some great male friends at work who are also home repair junkies. Today's trek was to see if my acquired grill actually worked - and I wanted an experienced grill person to actually make sure the connections were correct.

It works. Yeah. This never married older male came to my home inspection with me, and I swear he remembers every detail about my house, and pro--offers suggestions for stuff.

Do other single people keep a running shopping list for Home Depot too?

<blockquote>quote:<hr />Originally posted by newly:
 I'm wondering where you guys live and if I can rent you out for a day (for home repair work - that is!)<hr /></blockquote>St. Paul, Minnesota (well a distant suburb anyway) and ummmmm.... sure I rent out... (for home repair that is... <img border="0" title="" alt="[Wink]" src="images/icons/wink.gif" /> )

<blockquote>quote:<hr />Do other single people keep a running shopping list for Home Depot too? <hr /></blockquote>No, I just make a habit of stopping there ona daily basis just in case i decide I need something... Like a new John Deere or something... <img border="0" title="" alt="[Cool]" src="images/icons/cool.gif" />

Oh, boy. Rent a Repair. Newly this could be a lot of fun. We could ask people whether they want a repair man with tight jeans or the loose jeans that slip down over the rear when the man in question bends over.

Some of us actually own belts to go with our wardrobe of carpenter jeans and flannel shirts!!!!

[ May 25, 2004, 01:10 PM: Message edited by: Want My Wife Back??? ]

Well what fun is that? A belt!

<blockquote>quote:<hr />Originally posted by newly:
 Well what fun is that? A belt! <hr /></blockquote>Well, to be perfectly blunt... having worked in the trades... I would say it is one hell of a lot more fun than sweaty, hairy butt-crack. If you must know.

LOL:

Sweaty, hairy butt crack..thats a picture. A little more info than I needed to know.(LOL)

I actually live in Pittsgrove, NJ. That is due west of Vineland..and about 32 miles west of Atlantic City.

Newly..if I recall correctly I am about an hour and a half south of you...and GG, I am about an hour and forty-five east of you.

Reasonable rates. No charge for dumb looks.