I have a concrete basement that has some slight issues with water pooling up through some cracks in the ground in one small area. I got someone to come look at it and they suggested either installing a full sump pump system or installing some french drains outside. I think it's a good idea to get some french drains outside to reduce hydro-static pressure on the foundation, but could I not just use some sort of concrete sealant to prevent water from rising up through the cracks in floor? At the very least, could this work as an added layer of protection?
For example, could I use something like this: https://www.homedepot.com/p/Foundation-Armor-5-gal-Solvent-Based-Acrylic-Wet-Look-Concrete-Sealer-and-Paver-Sealer-AR3505GAL/205719768
I had this issue. I put a thick layer of drylok hydraulic cement and it fixed the issue. A couple things about hydraulic cement:
1) It dries fast, when they say 30 seconds they mean 30 seconds. Apply it tiny quantities at a time, like mix some in a cup and apply one handful at a time. By the time you get to a second handful it'll already be hard as a rock. Wear gloves obviously
2) You will get efflorescence. Don't paint right away, wait a few weeks, and scrub the salt off, repeat as necessary
3) You may get another few leaks after you apply the cement. It doesn't mean it didn't work, it just takes a few times to harden. It gets harder with every leak. If you're worried, you can apply another coat or two, but more importantly just wait for a few rainfalls
Thanks anon, I'll try that out. Do you have any worries about the long-term pressure on your foundation? I figure using something like drylok will fix the issue, but I'm worried about just doing that and not trying to mitigate the water pressure.
follow-up question, did you just use the hydraulic cement to fill in any cracks? would it be worth it to use something like this https://www.homedepot.com/p/DRYLOK-Extreme-5-gal-Bright-White-Flat-Latex-Interior-Exterior-Basement-and-Masonry-Waterproofer-28615/202610896 on the entirety of the area that is getting water? it's not a large area.
actually this is the one I think I'd go with since it's clear. https://www.homedepot.com/p/DRYLOK-5-gal-Clear-Interior-Exterior-Floor-and-Wall-Basement-and-Masonry-Waterproofer-20915/205079076
That might work too. You could try multiple products one on top of another, they usually bond to each other as if it was to the original concrete. I wouldn't worry about long term pressure on the foundation, let that be the next guy's problem. If something happens it'll be in decades. And in that amount of time a foundation problem could come from something else entirely. I haven't experienced any problems with my patch job and it's been years
>let that be the next guy's problem
That would be my future child, anon.
Either way, thanks for the info. I'll make the visit to the store tomorrow and see what drylok stuff they have. I might still look into installing french drains just for peace-of-mind since we want to eventually have a bedroom downstairs, but I'm pretty sure using the waterproofer should fix the issue, at least until the (future) children move out and we have more spare rooms.
if you don't even have a child yet it's too early to be thinking about them inheriting your house. So many things could happen for example your wife wants a different house, your job moves out of state, your city becomes infested with spics/Black folk, your child moves for college and stays there, your child doesn't want to sleep in the bedroom he was conceived in, etc. The median duration of homeownership in the U.S. is 13 years, you really shouldn't be making 30+ year long plans
thats for summarizing how mentally moronic americans are with houses, and why they always look like dogshit structurally in the basement. Cheap frick.
that looks so fun to get loaded and pee in. I bet it holds heat like a motherfricker too. I wonder if having an indoor, above ground pool makes your ac bill go up
>just use some sort of concrete sealant
>I figure using something like drylok will fix the issue
Hydrostatic pressure is extremely powerful, you're not going to stop water from coming up through a crack in the slab just with some paint.
I hope it's a hard frame pool and not a inflatable at least
I used to live in a Chicago apartment, ground floor and i had seepage. the cheap bastard landlord tried everything but the right fix.
sealing the concrete didnt work
french traps didnt work
the israelite basterd then spent 6 weeks having 4 different guys over measuring and providing estimate for a sump system. all their bids where within a few grand of each other. total cost was $10k for a 1k square foot apartment.
water will always find a new way to seep in, you must dig a trench, and suck it out. this is the best solution.
exactly, once you have a reliable sump system you can start filling foundation cracks and other more permanent fixes.
I just feel more comfortable attempting french drains first before going for the sump pump. The sump pump worries me because if it goes out I feel like I'll be even more screwed, and if we have heavy storms here the power WILL go out. At the very least I think french drains will help with decreasing water pressure on the foundation, so it wouldn't hurt to get the work done and see if I have any problems after that. It really isn't a huge amount of water intrusion and the damage is fairly localized to an unused area.
plus this is a basement that the previous owners began finishing. I'd have to basically tear down each wall and start over from the beginning with each of them. french drains would be much less invasive
Get a generator for the sump. If power outages during storms are as common in your area as you suggest, sounds like you oughta have one anyway, sump pump or not.
that's fair but i'd rather not spend 15-25k completely bulletproofing this basement at the moment. maybe in a few years i can spring for the whole system. having a generator for it would definitely make me feel better. however, we probably won't live down here for at least 4-5 years, so i think I have some time to see how the french drains perform and go from there
I hear ya, and realistically, the hydraulic cement will be fine since you're seeing seepage rather than inches on the floor. I patched a straight up gaping wound in a foundation inside and out with the stuff and it held great (remnant of an expansion of the property apparently, they knocked through the block very messily, no idea wtf was going on there)
thanks for the advice, anon. this is my first time dealing with waterproofing a basement so this thread has been super helpful.
i do have one last question: if I was to use hydraulic cement on the leak, is there a chance that water would begin springing up somewhere else? I know "water travels the path of least resistance" so I'm wondering if there's a possibility that I will create another bit of seepage by patching this one. I'm guessing that it's unlikely since any potential alternative routes for water to seep in would probably already show signs of water intrusion, but I just wanted to ask since it's been on my mind.
I suppose that'll depend on the terrain down there, where exactly water is collecting outside the foundation and what other points of entry it can find when you cover the areas currently affected. I doubt this'll actually happen, since as you said, you probably would have seen at least some evidence of intrusion in those areas already, dampness or discoloration at least. I don't think it's a bad idea to stand ready for a second or third round of patching though, even if you extend round one's coverage well beyond the present areas of interest. Diverting water outside the house is going to be the most important measure, though, since some stupid problem or another is bound to emerge if you let drenched soil sit against your foundation.
To elaborate on my experience, my shit was all moronic: The property was downslope of the hill crest, which was the street, so heavy rain would be driven down the driveway into the lowest paved corner which happened to be nearest the house. There it would pool and totally saturate the soil against the front of the foundation, where it convienently found a bigass hole about two feet underground, plus the shitty seam at the slab. I threw a ton of hydraulic cement against that hole and its surroundings, inside and out, and also all along the front seam between the block and the slab floor. Then I had a drain and pipe installed in that lowest corner of the driveway to channel the water diagonally across the front lawn and back to the street, below the house and driveway. I also got some of those water alarms and staged them around the basement because of paranoia, but never went off, so overall, a success.
Thanks anon, that assuages my fears a bit. sounds like the plan for me is
>install some french drains and see if they relieve the water pressure on the foundation enough to prevent intrusion
>use hydraulic cement to fill up the cracks (even if the french drains relieve enough pressure such that there is no more water intrusion I think it's a good idea to do this for an added defense against extremely heavy rains)
>keep an eye out for other potential points of intrusion
>last ditch extreme effort is to install a sump pump
the property here seems to basically be gathering water from my neighbor who is uphill, but the house is correctly graded such that the water shouldn't pool around the foundation. I think it's just an issue with the location of the home causing the yard to unavoidably get soaked from the rain running downhill from the neighbor's yard. because of that I'm hoping the french drains on the perimeter of the home will fix most of the issues.
thanks again for the advice anon. I'll keep my water alarms primed and ready in case of emergency
French drains (foundation drains) are the most simple and robust things ever yet people still manage to frick them up all the time. Just watch a few YouTube videos, rent an excavator for a weekend and knock it out. Ezpz.
>but could I not just use some sort of concrete sealant to prevent water from rising up through the cracks in floor?
fricking moronic ass american cheap-o solution that will trap moisture. God I hate hearing this shit.. Reason why I hate it is because trapping moisture will mean it will eventually bubble up or worse yet, you'll have mould and all sorts of stupidity growing underneath of it. Trust me, I know that from experience.
At least when you let water come in through the cement, you drain it, it breathes with the inside of your basement. Usually what one does is you put a dehumidifier there... Sump pump is also a good idea if you dont want todo neither.. Either way you probably have moisture issues and will need to keep an eye on it. Dehumidifiers are cheap ...
The "best" way of fixing this problem, the "proper" way, is just to drain the foundation but Im getting the feeling that you are not looking to spend that much money. So once again, sump pump is proper enough.
IMHO.
I like hydraulic cement and all that, but if you really want to deal with it, I would take a 12" hilti hole saw, cut a big hole right where the water is coming up, or in your lowest spot, I don't know your basement... Then I would take a 5 gallon bucket and drill a shit load of small holes in the bottom. Cram it in the hole you just cut. Then I would install a small cheap sump with a float, and tie it into the sewer system. Bam, it's like a few hundred dollars. I did this in a big factory once when they were at a loss on how to deal with the water, and didn't want to pay an arm and a leg, and just ejected the water outside. They fricking loved it.