# water wicking through floor



## elementx440 (Jan 25, 2007)

so this is an extension of my other post, with a different concern...

the floor seems to be wicking water from below.  there are no cracks as far as i can tell, but there is a lot of pitting.  

can i seal this with some sort of product and that will stop the moisture?

will the new drainage system around the outside of the foundation maybe alleviate this water?


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## inspectorD (Jan 25, 2007)

.......Drainage around the perimeter will only stop the water around the foundation. Water under the footings and floor is a ground water problem which is not easy to control.
The block foundation you install needs to have a sealant around all 4 walls to keep out the water at the walls.
Your post said you would only fix 3 or 4 of the walls.
My recommendation is to treat all the walls, not with tar but with a material which can expand with the cracks you will get in the future.
Look into some waterproof membranes. Best solution for these type of foundations.

Find out why this foundation failed in the first place, and get more opinions!!!


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## mudmixer (Jan 25, 2007)

You have saturated soil under your slab and around the foundation.

Coatings are a bit of a "band-aid" solution, but often they are necessary if or until more permanent solutions are completed. A product like Thoroseal will do a good job of limiting moisture through the walls. After seeing your photo, i would not use a coating like Drylok. Clean and brush the walls. Mix the Thoroseal (comes dry in a bag) according to instructions and pay attention to timing and waiting period. Mist the walls to make the application easier and get a better bond. After 8 hours or so, mist again to slow the drying and insure a better coating.

Correct the usual problems outside your home - I am sure there are some. Install long (8 -10') downspout extensions and make sure the drainage is away from the house.

For your situation, a more permanent solution would be drain tiles. Interior drain tiles below or at the level of the footings will do the best job of removing the moisture from under the slab and behind the walls. Run the drain tile to a sump and pump the water away. Since you are dewatering a large area, it will take time. It is a big job and very messy, but it can be a DIY job.


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## elementx440 (Jan 25, 2007)

actually, if i purchase this home the foundation will be replaced and a new drainage system will be installed along the perimeter, so the walls are of no concern.  i just don't want to replace the floor.  can i waterproof the slab somehow?  Seal it up and carpet it?  Will the new drainage system take care of the problem?


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## mudmixer (Jan 25, 2007)

A proper interior drain tile installation will be low enough to drain some water from behind the wall, but more importantly, it will drain water from under the slab. The bottom of the drain tile must be below the bottom of the footings (not just the foundation wall, which sits on the footings). An exterior drain tile sytem will help, but will not as effective to control the slab leakage in this case.

The problem with the slab is that it is probably very poor concrete that was poured too wet. Most home builders also neglect to have the correct soil under the slab and just use what is available. I would also suspect there is no vapor barrier under the slab.

If you have water under your slab, it will eventually come through no matter what you put on the floor. If your drain tile is not below the bottom of the floor you will have a wet slab.

The effectiveness of the drain tile to improve the slab will depend to a great deal on the soil under the slab.

Since they are agreeing to replace the entire foundation with drain tile, the logical step to replace the slab is not that costly with everying else torn up and the house supported.


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## glennjanie (Jan 26, 2007)

Check out HarleySilo's basement project, that's the way mine was dried up. You only need to cut out a foot along the walls to make this repair. If the drain under the floor dries up the floor you could clean up any popped off concrete and use some latex based floor-patch, it is sold in our area dry in bags by Kentile.
Glenn


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## elementx440 (Jan 26, 2007)

that's what im hoping to do... salvage the floor.  im hoping the new drainage will keep that water away from the slab... and i can just patch up and be dry... ahh in a perfect world....

i think it'll be another 3k to replace the floor...


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## J.R.RichardFan (Mar 28, 2007)

Hi Element,

Can I recommend a product that may solve the problem?

I used it on my foundation and interlock paver driveway....it's called Zycosil...I don't know if you can get it in the U.S., but you can in Canada...it's a syrup that you mix with water and spray it on.....relatively cheap....about 25 cents a square foot.

You just spray it on a dry surface and when it dries, any water just beads on it......apparently it will last twenty years.......it stops and mildew or mold or staining as well (i tried that by putting a little bit of wine on my driveway)as well.

It won't fix a cracking issue, but if you don't have any cracks in the floor, I would recommend it......no smell or fumes either.

Oliver


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## Mephistopheles (Jun 7, 2007)

Your answer depends on the degree of moisture pentration and the drainage around the structure. You can check the degree of penetration by a simple plastic sheeting taped to floor test for 24 hrs. If your exterior grading is proper, then there are bigger problems.


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