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We just had 12 hours of continuous rain in SE PA and had a total hour of respite. After all, my basement looks like this:
How To Install French Drain In Basement
I just installed new gutters and they are working great – but the exterior of the house still has a lot of standing water, the slope is negative and there is a gutter about 4″ deep around the house – please note this is a twin, So I can only control one side of the house.
Screw Up A French Drain Installation
I tried grading the soil myself in the leaky corner of the cellar, but to no avail. This is what it looked like before I leaned in. You can see the rest of the house.
I have a water repellant coming out, of course try to sell me on the internal drain in France. He said it would solve my problem. While true, I still feel like it would make more sense to actually have the soil properly graded away from the house and upgrade and back up the sump pump. I can literally see the pool next to my house. I showed him this and he just said “water won’t go into a flooded basement”. He said rising water tables would not be solved by tilting the outside soil away from the house.
I could use some advice. I really think grading and puddle work would be a better solution even though there are 2 cracks for water to come in through there, it’s a stone foundation and I’m worried the epoxy infusion will blow it off. not ideal.
Grading the slope is unlikely to fully solve your problem. Slopes around foundations are relatively easy and require little material, so it’s generally advisable to try them, especially if the slope is negative. Unfortunately, this is not a panacea, as water can move through the soil, especially during heavy rainfall or high water tables. Standing water near foundations is a recipe for disaster, in addition to allowing water to enter through cracks and improper seals, it can actively worsen cracks through erosion and freezing.
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The other partner of this “twin” may be having the same issues as you, so seeking their help (especially with the recent rains making this a priority for both of you) may yield better results.
That said, there are two main ways to deal with waterlogged foundations, the one used primarily for new construction is best done when the foundation is poured. Drainage tiles are buried around the base of the foundation wall and are connected to pipes under the floor into the sump. As water seeps into the soil near the foundation, it can easily enter these pipes and flow to the sump, which activates when it reaches a certain level, pumping a few gallons of water to the drain outside. Water can migrate through concrete, so the exterior of the wall is often sealed to keep moisture out of the concrete foundation wall.
Another method your waterproofing person recommends is to use a drain to dispose of the water once it has entered the interior. Opening a shallow channel or negative slope to a floor drain or sump can also direct the flow, but if the water pools like this, you’ll definitely have high moisture and humidity, so you’ll need to take this into account when storing items in the basement, which won’t work Finish that space with ease.
If I were you, I’d research options for sealing the exterior foundation (which in my experience requires removing a lot of soil around the foundation walls) and repairing the cracks in the photo. If you do nothing, this increases the pressure on the water table and causes the foundation to crack, so you also need to get the water somewhere. If you have the slope and gravity to direct the water out of the house, an external french drain will probably work; otherwise you’ll need a pump – since you’re in an ice prone area, that pump should be in a pit. When the soil has been dug from the foundation it will be a good time to install the drainage tiles and lead pipe to the sump, you can do this by putting the soil back in and grading away from the house. This will be expensive, but will most likely prevent further foundation damage. Your waterproofing consultant may have suggested some or all of these steps.
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This is an academic question! Is it the rising water table, is it the groundwater flow, is the house grade bad, or is there a problem with the construction? I agree with you that the lowest cost, most obvious solution should be addressed first. This spring, have a ton or two of brown dirt delivered to your house and have the driver dump it near the problem site (“a ton” is just industry slang for a pickup truck full of dirt). It will probably cost you $100 (maybe more, I did it 30 years ago). Prepare the site by laying down plastic sheeting if desired (this will give the finished product a very hygienic look). Along your poor grade, also lay down good quality plastic sheeting, extending the coverage to about five feet from the house and up to the height of the window well. Then, using a wheelbarrow and shovel, move all the dirt to the side of the house, up to the height of the window well, and extending to cover all the sheets. When you’re done, grab a good-quality bag of grass seed (shade in an out-of-sun area) and rake it in. Pat it lightly and water it every morning and evening. Grass growth is important because the roots can divert water away from the house (the reason dug bare land becomes a landslide during a heavy rain is because it has no roots). More than a third of the area, because gravity would pull the ground down that far in a year. You may need more dirt next spring, repeat the process if necessary. This is not a panacea. However, it will eliminate most (90%) of the problems. Inside, find the lowest side of the basement and install a sump pump. This is another do-it-yourself job that isn’t too difficult. Buy a black plastic bucket (no holes) and lid at Home Depot and rent a full size jackhammer. Take the bucket lid and use a black marker to draw a circle on the floor in the corner of the basement (6 inches to a foot from the wall), then use the jackhammer to tap out the floor. Buy a dozen 5 gallon HD buckets, fill ’em up, and haul everything upstairs (it’s really not that bad; buckets are cheap, and you’ll do most of your hauling with the exception of concrete Dirt dug up with a garden hand shovel. When your bucket fits nicely and is level with the ground, screw the lid back on. You’ll want to do this as the next step will require a bag or two of mortar to fill your puddle sides. When the cement dries, you can unscrew the top and have a perfectly placed well, with a cover that fits the top perfectly. However, before mixing the mortar, backfill the area with a bucket or two of soil (reducing the cement needs). Next, buy a 1/2 hp sump pump (Liberty pumps are the best; the ball is designed not to get stuck open and run forever). Then connect the pump with pvc pipe to the attached t o house Drainage on the outside (draining the water 20 feet from the foundation if possible). Next gouges the cracks in the basement walls and fills them with hydraulic cement. You can even paint the walls with waterproof paint, but those things will do Doesn’t work (I’ll pay to do it anyway). Finally, see where all the water is coming from, and if necessary, rent a sledgehammer again and chisel out the floor next to the wall, just deep and wide enough for the 2×4, with the floor Flush. Gouging out the entire corner of the wall, then gouging down to the sump pump. Protect your 2×4 (The pros in this trade say, “Use motor oil and wipe down the board. That way the cement won’t stick to it as it dries.”) , and install spacers between the wall and the 2×4 (when your mortar dries, you pull out the spacers, and then the 2×4; both the spacers and the oil will keep the 2×4 from getting stuck). Finally, buy a few bags of mortar, wipe in the long gap in the middle
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