# Old basement entry door found and leaks!



## wienerwater (Sep 6, 2006)

Hello, newbie to the forum with a serious post.
Just bought a house built in 1930 here in northern British Columbia. It had a bit of a musty odour in the basement, and when I bought it, was told of a little water leak this past spring.I traced it down outside, under the rear porch/deck (about 21/2 feet above ground level)I noticed in the past spring, snowmelt seemed to have pooled there, against the house wall (had a little slope to it toward the house)and about a 5"-6" hole where it looked like water channeled eventuallydown the basement wall and into the basement. I tore the inside wall panel off today, and discovered what used to be a basement entry door below grade! Sometime ago, a previous owner covered the doorway over with pressure treated plywood (wood basement grade) and backfilled it in, and panelled in the basement wall.  The insulation was a little damp about 5" from the floor and there was dirt packed in the wall cavity about a foot high as well.I removed the dirt, wet insulation etc, and it seems to be drying nicely.My question is this : I have graded and sloped from the outside wall for proper water drainage/diversion and wonder what is best to seal in the doorway? Outside of cutting up the deck, bringing in a backhoe and dig down and try and reseal the plywood to the concrete surface, can I seal from the inside somehow, like inject an epoxy filler between the plywood and concrete? I thought of cement blocks and mortar, but I think it will not have an outer seal to prevent water from coming through eventually. All advice appreciated!


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## glennjanie (Sep 7, 2006)

Good Afternoon Weinerwater and Welcome to the Forum:
The hydraulics of the water pushing in from the outside is almost impossible to stop from the inside. Sure, you can use silicone, epoxy and UGL Dry-Lok but, when they all fail, you will go back and dig up the outside for a permanent fix.
I would recommend digging down and using fiberglass reinforced plaster on the outside. Here in Kentucky they use this product to build "braddishes" in the coal mines; a wall of concrete blocks stacked up dry then coated with the plaster. I have heard of reports of trying to take a wall down and the blocks were broken up but the joints would not turn loose.
Glenn


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