how can you stop basement leak..in the foundation from the inside? without digging up the outside?

Answer 1

Dry lock won't work. That is for sealing the concrete. It will stop weeping and migration due to porosity, but not a crack.

Here is something almost no one knows about. Try an find something called "bentonite." It is a type of expanding clay that is used in numerous ways.

One way is to stop the leaking from a farm pond that has s porous bottom. The drilling industry uses it too. If you have a well services company around, you should be able to get a bag of it. The cost isn't much.

Now, I am afraid you might have to do a little digging though. I have heard several ways of application.

One way is to dig a small trench pour the stuff in, and wet it down some, then throw the dirt back on top and wet it down some. When rain comes, it will migrate the bentonite to the leak.

I have also heard about simply spreading it on top of the ground, but this doesn't seem correct to me. Once wet, it would swell and the rain would just run off. However, that is what I was told.

Another way is to wait until you have a very dry spell in your area, and dribble the bentonite in the crack between the foundation and the dirt that opens up when very dry.

Another way is to use a potato spade and poke several holes in a line and dribble the bentonite into them, then wet everything down.

The final way I heard of was to dig postholes and fill them with the bentonite.

Finally, I would suggest you build up the dirt around your foundation and get gutters on your house if you don't have any.

Those two things solved a bad problem I had with my basement.

I have an old basement that was built with bricks. When I purchased the place, the yard actually drained against the foundation. The water would build up such a head; it would actually squirt out between the holes in the bricks. No joke, just like a water pistol.

Changing the slope of my yard and getting good gutters on almost totally stopped water in my basement, in all but the heaviest an longest rain spells.

Good Luck.

Answer 2

I think you've got one for "Ask This Old House." But I suspect that even their wizards will have to dig up from the outside.

Answer 3

Yopu can't. It'll just keep eating away at the walls and deterating them.
YOu can seal the interior walls and hold it off for a while but the water will seep though eventually.

Answer 4

there's a product you can get at walmart called UGL DriLok that comes in a one gallon bucket, you clean the concrete surface really good then put on two or three coats of that stuff. it keeps the water from coming through the concrete

Answer 5

Have you started at the basics? Get rid of standing water, etc from outside your house.

Answer 6

Use a product called dry-lock. You will start by filling the crack with calk gun applied sealant, then you will paint the wall or froor with the dry-lock paint.

good luck.

Answer 7

Well its gonna cost some money, but there is roll on barrier you put on concrete. But it would be better if you dug it up. Then you can put drain tile in.