Leaky Basement fixes

Burglecut83 · #1 04-23-2017, 03:26 AM

I have a house built in 76. Just south of ellerslie is edmonton. Just in the past few years the basemnt has been leaking and a considerable amount of water coming in. I was wondering if theres any good DIY remedies or if I should hire a contractor that does this kind of work and wgat your past experiences have been and how the fixes worked out. Basically I dont mind paying to have it professionally done but dont want to if its a simple DIY project nor do I want to hire a fly by night contractor.

Mayhem · #2 04-23-2017, 07:06 AM

Not enough info given...Is it leaking in one area or all around the foundation? Has the grade around the house settled allowing water to run towards the foundation instead of away? Cracks in the bsmt walls? and do you have weeping tile?

LKILR · #3 04-23-2017, 07:09 AM

Biggest thing you can do is make the rain wAter go away from the foundation. I have "fixed" leaking basements by simply adding downspouts.

Grizzly Adams · #4 04-23-2017, 07:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LKILR

Biggest thing you can do is make the rain wAter go away from the foundation. I have "fixed" leaking basements by simply adding downspouts.

x2. After that, well, a house that age might not have weeping tile or foundation coating, time for an expert.

Grizz

CaberTosser · #5 04-23-2017, 07:56 AM

LKILR has the first step noted, that being getting any water directed as far away from the foundation as you can get. At a previous house of mine built in the 1950's there would be a bit of water getting into the basement during heavy rains, I was flanked on either side by rental duplexes whose eavestroughs were plugged and overflowing. I cleaned mine and theirs and installed some 4"PVC running along the fence to discharge just shy of the property line at the alley and kitty-corner along the front to discharge about 6' shy of the public sidewalk. Keeping the water away from the foundation worked well.

If it's a high water table issue then one will want weeping tile and/or s sump pump or two. My wife's old place in Stettler had two sumps in the basement and I did the same thing with her eavestroughs, save that she backed onto the railway so I could run the PVC a bit further than the property line. I also discharged those two sump pumps into that 4" PVC which ran 60'-70' feet away.

If installing a sump pump and chamber dig it nice and deep and surround it with 1" rock. I prefer as large a sump as possible as a larger volume reduces the on/off cycling of the pump and you'll get better life from the unit. Make sure to test them just before the rainy season, you can also incorporate a high-water alarm into the sump to let you know if something is awry. In my present home I have such a sump collecting water from my weeping tile and discharging outside. As I built the home myself I dug that 50 gallon poly drum sump to about 7'6" to the bottom from my floor level, it's got a pressure treated plywood box above it to bring up it to floor level. I had to chin-up out of the hole with the shovel laid across the top after digging it. It also has a high-water alarm and switches that control power to it, but also a second switch that bypasses the float so that I can power it manually to test it for function or bypass the float switch if that develops an issue.

bobtodrick · #6 04-23-2017, 08:48 AM

Bought an old house (1940's) in 1998. Knew the basement leaked but also knew it wasn't due to any major foundation cracks.
Installed the kind of downspouts that when it rains pivot down and exit the water about 2-3 meters away from the foundation and brought in a couple yards of dirt to make raised sloping flower beds around the foundation.
Did that in 2000...basements been dry ever since.

tundraltd · #7 04-23-2017, 09:21 AM

I had similar issue with my place three years ago house built in 76 cinder block foundation seeping water after big rains and spring melts, after all the DIY fixes and still leaking had the pros come in and dig around the whole house found out the weeping tile was filled with mud, replaced the weeping tile and had a dimpled plastic membrane installed on the out side of foundation problem fixed.

58thecat · #8 04-23-2017, 09:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bobtodrick

Bought an old house (1940's) in 1998. Knew the basement leaked but also knew it wasn't due to any major foundation cracks.
Installed the kind of downspouts that when it rains pivot down and exit the water about 2-3 meters away from the foundation and brought in a couple yards of dirt to make raised sloping flower beds around the foundation.
Did that in 2000...basements been dry ever since.

This, keep it simple stupid!

CMichaud · #9 04-23-2017, 09:38 AM

I agree that downspouts and grade are the first thing to check

If the water is coming in through rotted out snap ties you can get them filled.

I had about 5 that had rotted/rusted out.

Crackmaster does it but you may be able to purchase the product your self. Think it is polyurethane that they inject?

Trochu · #10 04-23-2017, 09:42 AM

My basement leaks in the spring if I don't shovel my driveway. Some times its really simple.

Attilathecanuk · #11 04-23-2017, 10:01 AM

Call Lenbeth weeping tile. Best in the business by far.

partsman · #12 04-23-2017, 10:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LKILR

Biggest thing you can do is make the rain wAter go away from the foundation. I have "fixed" leaking basements by simply adding downspouts.

Yep, for now I have added extensions to get my downspouts away from the house and they drain the water a few feet away and no more water coming in, come summer I may have to dig down and try waterproof the outside of the wall, my house was build in 1966 or so.

Burglecut83 · #13 04-25-2017, 06:38 PM

Will anything wrecked by the water comong in be covered by my insurqnce.

ccmckee · #14 04-26-2017, 08:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Burglecut83

Will anything wrecked by the water comong in be covered by my insurqnce.

Depends on your policy.

Kim473 · #15 04-26-2017, 08:52 AM

The best fix is dig around the foundation and waterproof the wall. add or repair weeping tile. Back fill again, grading of about 1 inch per foot or more away from walls.
Any inside repairs of the concrete walls are just temporary repairs.

Lots of labour cost, little material cost.

Joe Btfsplk · #16 04-29-2017, 01:41 PM

Burglecut;
I am a contractor.

I am not 100% sure the very first thing you should do is call a contractor.

The problem seems to be that you have water entering the basement (is it finished?) so the first step should be to find out where it is coming from. As others have mentioned, it may only be necessary to regrade your yard around the house to provide good drainage. Extend those downspouts to get the water at least 5 feet from the closest foundation point, and don't bash them up with your lawn tractor! Clean your gutters and ensure the spikes are not loosening and affecting proper slope to the outlet.

We should all do these steps every few years anyway, so nothing lost.

If water continues to be a problem, it may be high groundwater and require expertise to solve, but at least you have done everything possible on your own beforehand.

If your basement is not finished, you have the option of adding weepers around the interior perimeter of the basement floor into a sump pump. Not a small job, but for groundwater it is another option.

Do your homework, there are many options to consider that may work!