Odd Question

Dave DeFord_3

Have you checked the drainage system to make sure it is working. Specifically is the sump pumping the water out of the well in which it sits. If not, you may simply have to repair/replace the pump. Just something worth checking out as this seems to be a new problem which tells me something has changed. You might also want to check the inlet on the pump to make sure it hasn't become blocked or clogged.

Something else worth checking out is if there is an underground water line in the area where the water is leaking. I have seen the exact problem you are talking about from an underground water supply line in a garden level apartment. The tenant wasn't too happy when we brought a jackhammer into his kitchen and dug a 6 foot long trench in his kitchen floor, but we fixed the leak.

One more thing - does this floor have a radiant heating system? If so, it may be leaking. Good luck.

Jane Simms

Jane Simms

Odd question

Hi all. Not a heating question but someone might know the answer. I have a finished basement, (carpet, ceiling tile, drywall, etc.). Most carpet is put down on tack strips but glued down indoor/outdoor in laundry room. For some time now, I have felt dampness near the door that opens into the belco doorway. It has gotten worse lately and tonight, it was to the point where the area had about 1/4" of water on the floor. I tore up the carpet (had been planning to anyway), because I thought that the water was seeping in thru the crack between the wooden door sill and the concrete floor. I saw, however, that is not the case. there are two small holes in the cement just before the wooden sill and the water is comming up thru them, slowly but surely.

So, I tried the only thing I could think of to fix it. I had some concrete/mortor mix and applied it in and around the holes. I just put it in dry because of the water that was seeping. I keep trying to keep my eye on it. The mortor has slowed the water down A LOT, but, of course it is not setting up real well because the water keeps comming. Has anyone ever seen anything like this before? How else would anyone go about fixing such a thing?

P.S. When I moved in the home about 12 years ago, there was an indoor sump pump. I spent nearly $18,000 to dig up all around my house's foundation, all the way down to the footers. I had all new footer drains put in. I also had the sump pump moved outside in a hole that is about 12-15 ft. deep. I have a very good system to handle ground water. After all of that, the basement has always been good and dry. Very little moisture problems even in the humid summers. I don't think this has anything to do with the sump pump or footer drains. Got any ideas? Thanks in advance! :-)

brucewo1b

Hydraulic cement

Is what you want to plug those holes, used to use a product caled Water Plug on sewer manholes to keep from leaking and can be applied under water. They might also have a caulk type at a hardware store.

Long Beach Ed

Jane...

When you deal with trying to keep ground water out of a basement, you are fighting one very hard battle. When the water rises, as it is doing, it will always find a way in.

The only solution is to lower the water table. You've attempted to do this with drains and waterproofing. I'm sure you know that the area around the foundation MUST be graded away from the building. Rain gutters Must carry water away from the foundation.

Your next step is to call back the people who did the drains. Do the drains lead to a sump with a pump?

You may be fighting a losing battle here. Plugging the holes may help, but water usually just finds another way in. There are massive amounts of it and lots of pressure too.

Long Beach Ed, CE

Jon_10

Ed is right. You are dealing with a changing water table and hydralic pressure is pushing the water up thru the holes. It will crack cellar floors and the only solution is another sump pump inside again. Drainage outside the footers is proper but is also required in the basement under the slab.

Hitzkup

you might try http://www.buildingscience.com/resources/foundations/renovating_your_basement.pdf

mark sch

Jane Simms

No...

I wish it had a radiant floor, but it doesn't. House was built in 1973 and the were cheep and but in ....forced air...yuck! I left the ducks for air cond. and had HWBB put in for heat instead.

Jane Simms

All

drains, footers, etc. lead to sump hole outside. My eve spouts go straight down into ground and connect into sump as well.

Jane Simms

Thanks

so much for all of the help everyone!

Dave DeFord_3

Please ...

let us know what the results are.

Jane Simms

I called

my ex-husband because I couldn't remember when we had all that work done if they cut and put drains inside the basement, where the wall and floor meet, or not. He said they did so I don't know what has happened to have watere there. I wonder if the drain that is in that area is broken, cracked, filled with dirt do to shifing of the ground...etc. Because like I said...this didn't used to be a problem. I don't think my mortor will hold so I will run to my local plumbing/hardware place and grab some Water Plug. I did go out and check my pumps. A LOT of water right now. We are currently having all of our snow we just got the last few days melt. The pipe that comes into the sump from the footers is carrying quite a bit of water. My sump is a piece of 30" diameter PVC pipe put into the ground going up/down. At the bottom of it is a concrete pad. The pumps sit on the pad and of course have flots to let them come on and off. I have 2 electric pumps and one battery backup pump in the hole. If the primary electric one doesn't kick on for some reason, the second one will when the water rises a little higher. If neither electric pump comes on, the battery one will. (I never wanted to have a flood because of a bad pump. :-) Everything is working just fine sump pump wise.

Dave DeFord_3

Got me stumped.

> my ex-husband because I couldn't remember when we

> had all that work done if they cut and put drains

> inside the basement, where the wall and floor

> meet, or not. He said they did so I don't know

> what has happened to have watere there. I wonder

> if the drain that is in that area is broken,

> cracked, filled with dirt do to shifing of the

> ground...etc. Because like I said...this didn't

> used to be a problem. I don't think my mortor

> will hold so I will run to my local

> plumbing/hardware place and grab some Water Plug.

> I did go out and check my pumps. A LOT of water

> right now. We are currently having all of our

> snow we just got the last few days melt. The pipe

> that comes into the sump from the footers is

> carrying quite a bit of water. My sump is a piece

> of 30" diameter PVC pipe put into the ground

> going up/down. At the bottom of it is a concrete

> pad. The pumps sit on the pad and of course have

> flots to let them come on and off. I have 2

> electric pumps and one battery backup pump in the

> hole. If the primary electric one doesn't kick on

> for some reason, the second one will when the

> water rises a little higher. If neither electric

> pump comes on, the battery one will. (I never

> wanted to have a flood because of a bad pump. :-)

> Everything is working just fine sump pump wise.

Dave DeFord_3

Got me stumped.

Maybe someone else has seen this problem and can figure it out. Good luck.