Author Topic: Water Seeping Through Basement Walls - Will Sump Pump Fix?  (Read 4992 times)

Crazydude

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Water Seeping Through Basement Walls - Will Sump Pump Fix?
« on: March 26, 2018, 07:21:59 AM »
I have a corner room in my basement that is literally lower in elevation, as you walk through the door you step down about 4 inches. The two walls of this room seep (and sometimes to the point of a trickle) water during heavy, continuous (2+ days) rain, about 2-3 times a year. I'm considering installing a sump pump in this room. However, since a sump pump is installed in the floor, I'm thinking it probably wouldn't have any effect on water coming in through the walls?

My house was built in 1896 so there's no drain tile around the footer, the walls are stone, filled and covered with concrete. And I live on a hill, one neighbor higher than me and another lower in elevation. One of the walls that leaks is on the side of the house with the higher neighbor. I have a good gutter system on that side of the house already, but the ground on that side has a dip from years of water falling off the house when it had no gutter, so I have yet to re-slope it away from the house. However I'm not convinced that will fix the problem, because the other wall that leaks is under a concrete porch, and it still leaks.

I think a sump pump will help relieve some hydro static pressure, but will it have an effect on the leaky walls?

alanB

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Re: Water Seeping Through Basement Walls - Will Sump Pump Fix?
« Reply #1 on: March 26, 2018, 07:51:45 AM »
Water will sneak around the corner of the foundation under the concrete porch no problem.  I would re-grade and also make sure the downspouts are draining sufficiently far away from the foundation and not pooling back. 

Assuming you are going to install a sump pit and your floor is suitably sloped, a sump pump will solve the issue of water pooling on the floor.  I don't think it will help with hydrostatic pressure though.  Again, you have to make sure it discharges at a point where it will flow away or else you are basically running an invisible fountain ;)

Do you know what the little room was for?  Cold storage or old well room or something else?

Crazydude

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Re: Water Seeping Through Basement Walls - Will Sump Pump Fix?
« Reply #2 on: March 26, 2018, 08:02:52 AM »
Water will sneak around the corner of the foundation under the concrete porch no problem.  I would re-grade and also make sure the downspouts are draining sufficiently far away from the foundation and not pooling back. 

Assuming you are going to install a sump pit and your floor is suitably sloped, a sump pump will solve the issue of water pooling on the floor.  I don't think it will help with hydrostatic pressure though.  Again, you have to make sure it discharges at a point where it will flow away or else you are basically running an invisible fountain ;)

Do you know what the little room was for?  Cold storage or old well room or something else?

No idea what it was way back when. The basement has been partially finished and looks like the walls have be concreted over a couple times, and painted. The floor in this room is just poured concrete, everywhere else in the basement it's old tile (maybe asbestos tile). The water coming through the walls isn't a pressing issue, but I've already noticed small areas where the paint/concrete layer over top is bubbling and cracking. So in 5 years from now it will probably look pretty bad if it continues.

Roadrunner53

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Re: Water Seeping Through Basement Walls - Will Sump Pump Fix?
« Reply #3 on: March 26, 2018, 08:17:04 AM »
I agree with Sun Hat to get an expert in to diagnose the problem so you know what you are dealing with. You could end up with structural issues of the wall collapsing, mold problems and also, when you go to sell your house you have to disclose this situation or you could be sued and made to fix it after you have sold the house. If it has many layers of concrete, could be the wall had bad cracks and former owner was trying to fix issues.

How long have you owned this house? I think you have one year to go back to the previous owner and make them fix an existing problem that they knew of but did not disclose.

Good luck!

Crazydude

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Re: Water Seeping Through Basement Walls - Will Sump Pump Fix?
« Reply #4 on: March 26, 2018, 08:17:58 AM »
I had water coming in my basement a couple of years ago, and installing a sump pump wasn't part of the discussion for how to fix the problem, only for how to get the water out after it had found its way in. Unfortunately, I think that you've identified your causes already - the low area in your yard keeps the water near the foundation, where it accumulates since there's no french drain/weeping tile. I'd venture a guess that your stone foundation isn't waterproofed from the exterior, so that water is able to seep in through cracks in the concrete mortar between the stone.

I'd suggest inviting a structural engineer over to have a look to advise you whether the in-flowing water is eroding your mortar enough that it's undermining the stability of the wall, because if not, then you may not really need to stop it from coming in, and may just want to install either an interior drain or sump pump to get rid of it. Where I live, foundations move a fair bit, which had led to the cracks in my basement walls that let the water in, so I had to first have piles put in to stabilize the foundation, then do all of the waterproofing work just in order to keep my walls from eroding to the point of failure. Hopefully all you have to do is re-slope your yard to reduce the inflow, but it's hard to go wrong in seeking advice from an engineer who isn't affiliated with a contractor for an honest informed appraisal.

Did they have to drill into your wall to make the determination that it was eroding? Or just look at it from the inside?

lthenderson

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Re: Water Seeping Through Basement Walls - Will Sump Pump Fix?
« Reply #5 on: March 26, 2018, 10:14:05 AM »
In my experience, 95% of basement leaking can be solved by regrading and a proper gutter system. Before I paid someone else to tell me the obvious, I would take care of the obvious first by regrading any low spots to make sure all water is draining away from your basement. Then if it continues to be a problem, I would pay the money to hire the expert for the 5% of the time that it needs tiling and/or exterior waterproofing.

Fishindude

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Re: Water Seeping Through Basement Walls - Will Sump Pump Fix?
« Reply #6 on: March 26, 2018, 02:48:48 PM »
In my experience, 95% of basement leaking can be solved by regrading and a proper gutter system. Before I paid someone else to tell me the obvious, I would take care of the obvious first by regrading any low spots to make sure all water is draining away from your basement. Then if it continues to be a problem, I would pay the money to hire the expert for the 5% of the time that it needs tiling and/or exterior waterproofing.

Yep !         /\ /\ THIS /\ /\

Crazydude

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Re: Water Seeping Through Basement Walls - Will Sump Pump Fix?
« Reply #7 on: March 27, 2018, 07:15:03 AM »
Thanks for all the advice. I will try to regrade first. I will have to cover my basement glass block windows with a few inches of dirt but that’s ok right?

Sibley

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Re: Water Seeping Through Basement Walls - Will Sump Pump Fix?
« Reply #8 on: March 28, 2018, 03:01:31 PM »
Thanks for all the advice. I will try to regrade first. I will have to cover my basement glass block windows with a few inches of dirt but that’s ok right?

Not necessarily needed. Make sure gutter drainage extends far enough out, and that water flowing downhill towards the house is rerouted around the house. Assuming that's done, you might be able to get away with a much smaller (shorter? whatever) grade.

skeeder

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Re: Water Seeping Through Basement Walls - Will Sump Pump Fix?
« Reply #9 on: April 09, 2018, 12:39:20 PM »
You can install and french drain around the area that's getting the rundown. It will alleviate the problem.
Well, french drains in basements don't..."fix" the problem really. 

I'd suggest doing some drainage work between the hill and your house, they make large black plastic piping that farmers use for fields with lots of holes in it.  You dig down, put it in and it acts as a drain to get water away from your house.  grass grows over the top and everything!