# stone wall waterfall help



## debj (May 2, 2008)

I have a 160 yr old plus house. two homes were attached together on 2 seprate stone foundations joined by a tunnel like area to form one house. 

When I bought the house the basement had a cement floor poured by former owners on I think plastic. There are also 3 sump pumps set into the floor. We have alot of natural springs in the area. Water used to come in the basement where the walls meet the floor alot. I got new gutters that carry the water far out from the foundation in most areas. Back end of the house was excavated and stone and plastic and drain run underground.That helped alot of the water problem seeping in on the floor level in that area.

 But the area where the two houses meet has repeatably gotten worse. last summer we dug down outside and layed stone, black plastic and black plastic tubes that have holes in them to help carry the water away from that corner down about 2 to 3 feet under ground. We also have graded the dirt to run away from the house, planted a few shrubs and mulched to take some of the moisture and rain up.. 

That cleared up some areas much better in part of that area. But the corner has gotten worse inside of the house still. I still have a trickling waterfall that comes through the stone wall about 4 ft from the ground and lower.It comes through several areas between the stone.I get a few inches of water pile up that runs like a little river down across the floor to a corner sump pump and leaves the floor area after a while. It looks like some one at some time poured some what of a cement covering/wall over it to support it from the inside( by the waterfall area on the wall). Some of the mortar? has fallen out between the stones in several areas of the basment too.

 I have tried to find help, no one so far. I don't have th physical strenght to be mortaring things myself nor digging.I get a ton of different answers but no direct leads for help. I don't even understand why there are 3 sump pumps in the basement.Could anyone explain this to me or help me??? Thanks.


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## inspectorD (May 3, 2008)

So you have a water source in the basement...in the old days that was plumbing and made the house worth more. 
If you have tried to get help, who was it from? Contractors are afraid of this if you do not have the money to fix it correctly.
The only way to figure that out is to hire a local engineer to come up with the solutions. They will want to dig a couple of holes and such to figure soil content and water table.
It is not a DIY project, unless you have a lot of time and the machines to do it.

3 sump pumps...do all of them work? 

You will never stop the water, you can only control and divert the water.
I have seen folks put the house up on an entire new foundation to fix this...so be ready to do some cost analysis.
And change the scenery while your at it.


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## debj (May 3, 2008)

yes, the sump pumps work, yet I rarely hear them go on (had a plumber check them and he replaced one that didn't work). I thought orig. they were for water that came in thru the outside stairs to the basement with wooden cellar doors (2), after a hard rain( I have not replaced them just caulked them and they are much better)

I have only recently understood they are for undergound water? Contracters vear away from my problem. They tell me to find a stone mason. I have not found one as of yet. Than I read alot about a bentonite slurry being put into the ground and have wondered if this is the way to go.

 I have a few thousand to spend fixing this, but I don't have a truckload. I am not going to jack the house up and put a new foundation under it either.I am thinking of selling the place in a cple years ( In wi.) , so I want it to be able to sell but not break my budget.I want it to be safe.

 I am concerned with a constant waterfall of water coming thru when it rains , I'll loose that wall and end up with my house falling down? Maybe I am over reacting?I don't know the legal aspects of what has to be fixed on a house to even sell it either?


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