What is the best way to keep water from coming through my walls into my basement?

Question

I am a new home owner and the previous owner did not disclose water in the baement. When it rains real hard, I get water on the floor. It looks like it is coming in from different spots on the wall because the paint is getting discolored. It is a below ground basement. Would more dirt outside help more or should I have a large concrete slab put next to the house keep the water out? Thank you!!!!!

Answer 1

Too many people go to those pipe systems internal in the basement and pay a fortune for that kind of unslightly work. The companies that do that make a fortune off basically a no skill job of drilling holes and running plastic pipe. That devalues your home on resale so avoid those things.

The best solution around is to dig a trench around your entire house or at least most of it size about 18 inches deep and two feet wide. lay down a plastic sheet in that covering your basement wall and the entire bottom of the trench. To the bottom of that trench, add a 3 or 4 inch perferated flexible pipe the entire peremiter, stopping each at the corners and starting a new run.

Then back fill with a loose sand or gravel mix that easily releases water. Drain off those long runs to a ditch or hill and you will never ever have very much water in your basement to contend with again.

I know this takes work and even destroys a few shrubs, but when done it is a permanent fix and will increase not devalue your home.

Answer 2

Make sure the ground outside is sloping away from your foundation. If it slopes toward your house the water will run right up against the foundation and seep thru the cement walls. Pouring a cement slab will not solve this problem.

Answer 3

if its minor ,you may get away with ugl masonry paint, or throughseal. most leaking requires an outside fix. dig it out, dont stop at two feet deep because you may have water moving to the house from somewhere other than directly above it. have a french drain installed and backfill with gravel almost to ground level. top off with top soil...im assuming this is a block foundation or concrete and not stone...

Answer 4

well build a slope so it slopes away from the house also insulate around the discolorwith aluminum might work as a quick fixj just use it as a seal but sloping usually does the trick

Answer 5

claim from your surveyors, then move house otherwise it will cost thousands to put right

Answer 6

move out. it will cost quite a bit to fix.