This is the typical issue that people with wet basements have. Moisture/Water is coming directly through the foundation via a crack or puncture.
Punctures can happen from direct impact on the foundation wall, or through a very long process of micro-pores finally being connected via the concrete separations giving way.
Cracks are a common thing in many homes, especially older homes. Settlement, soil expansion and contraction, hydrostatic pressure, rapid cooling and drying of new concrete, or in the case of concrete block and brick, the mortar breaking up and dissipating.
The first step in correcting any foundation leaks that lead to a flooded basement is to formally address the foundation issues. Re-point the blocks or bricks, correct mortar issues, fill cracks, add FiberLock or Wall Anchoring systems (if one is needed) and then move onto the next step.
After the foundation is secure it’s time to waterproof the basement . Many people think that hydro-sealing the cracks is good enough to repair the crack and waterproof the basement. Sadly, after years of watching such repairs fail, it’s not. It’s a good temporary solution to get you safely to a permanent solution.
Installing an interior drain system in your basement is the only proven, permanent method to keep your basement dry. This will cover the addressed foundation, trap and redirect water to be properly drained and removed from the basement.
All foundations require an amount of water, especially in places like Texas, to stay stable, upright and without major incident. Concrete being naturally porous and absorbent, water will naturally find its way into concrete to fill the holes left behind by the drying process during the curing of the concrete walls.
Questions about your basement or foundation? Contact me on the Pioneer Basement Help Forums and Ask away. Don't forget to leave your comment here or to quote it in your forum posting.
Related Reading and Links
Read about the Top 6 Basement Mistakes that contractors and homeowners make.
Ask Pioneer Basement a question Directly on Pioneer Basement's Help Forums!
Posts
6 comments:
Hello Jacob L,
I posted a message on your forum under "waterproofing." My post is titled "Just getting started."
I'll look forward to hearing from you.
-Kelly (2/3/08)
Hi Kelly,
Got the post, we've started talking.
In order to set you up with the right company I just need to know the town (your phone number would be helpful too) to set you up with a company that's closer to you.
You can feel free to just email that too me. jacobl@pioneerbasement.com or Private message me on the forums.
I'm looking forward to helping you out!
When finishing a basement most people forget waterproofing. The moisture level in basements is usually high. This moister enters the basement through walls, cracks and leaking windows. This leads to water build up and if this problem is not resolved it can lead to serious problems posing a threat to health. You and your pets can develop allergies that can be very annoying and lead a trip to the hospital.
Dampness in your basement can cause mold to build. Molds are a type of fungi that reproduce by releasing tiny spores into the air. Spores that land on moist objects begin to grow. To fix mold, most commonly people use a tar based material in a solvent base because these are inexpensive and easy to apply. These solvents are helpful in preventing moisture penetration, but over a period of time these can cause thin hairline cracks and allow moisture to penetrate.
http://www.waterproofingpa.com/
Any chance that you know of a good contractor in St Louis? I didn't see a LINK to any. With so many basements in Missouri I'm surprised you don't have a LINK to a MISSOURI BASEMENT contractor???
^^ Funny you should mention that. I'll update my list right away.
There's a great company in the Grate Products Network that has been doing some amazing things in St. Louis.
Missouri Basement (www.missouribasement.com) would be the contractor that I would recommend to anyone in the St.Louis area
Just to point out that I plum forgot I made a post to point out the company in mention who's a part of the Grate Products Network in Missouri
http://diyguyct.blogspot.com/2009/08/reader-request-missouri-basement.html
Enjoy!
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