# leaky basement



## Serran21 (Dec 10, 2008)

i have a leaky basement, its only in 1 section in the basement, i got a block wall. is there anything i can do besides digging up the outside?


----------



## travelover (Dec 10, 2008)

Many leaky basements are caused by the fill settling next to the house in conjunction with down spouts that drain too near the foundation. Before you do anything expensive or heroic, add dirt to slope the yard away from the foundation. Then extend the downspouts out away from the house. Also check the gutters to make sure they are not plugged and overflowing next to the house.

You can also search this topic on Google. Example:

Fixing A Foundation Leak - Grading The Soil Properly


----------



## Serran21 (Dec 10, 2008)

i got lots of slope from my house down, atleast 3% and i jsut cleaned my gutters.


----------



## spaz2965 (Dec 10, 2008)

you can try dry lock but can't say that it will fix the problem, take some pics of the outside where the leak is occouring and also take pics on the inside and we my beable to help further.
Joe~~


----------



## inspectorD (Dec 11, 2008)

Digging up the outside on a block foundation is the only way to fix it right and for sure.
Anything else like the epoxies or drylock is only a temporary solution.

Unfortunatly there is no easy way to fix these issues, just throwing money at it from the inside has already proven many times to not have a lasting effect.
Bottom line is, save your money and attack it from the outside.
Good luck and let us know how it turns out.


----------



## travelover (Dec 11, 2008)

Serran21 said:


> i got lots of slope from my house down, at least 3% and i just cleaned my gutters.



Where do the down spouts empty? Some older homes have them empty into the foundation drain tiles, causing a problem when the tiles age.

A basement is not built like a ship, it is not designed to be truly waterproof. It depends on the drain field to take away most of the water before it penetrates the wall / floor.


----------



## yesitsconcrete (Dec 12, 2008)

based on your 2nd post, i'd follow inspector's advice &  travel confirms it,,, you prevent water from entering your basement ONLY on the outside - from the inside, you can only manage it.

cost is a issue to address, of course, so compare,,, you  might need to install an exterior sump & pump as just waterproofing the ext wall doesn't address the standing water which'd just find its way the the next weak point in the hull,,, new homes're only rqd to have a dampproofing coating ( usually an asphalt emulsion ), not waterproofing.

4 basic rules of wtr:  1, runs downhill; 2, seeks its own level; 3, rushes to fill a void ( eg, try making holes in bathtubs/pools/ponds ), & 4, winds up in bsmts.


----------

