help water proof and refinish my basement

[DarkManX]

im working on refinishing my basement which was finished when the house was built im assuming (50 years ago) it was finished with wood paneling, which doesn?t appear to be water or mildew resistant and had no insulation. There is a crappy frame which has a lot of weak supports/joints. the walls are also uneven and not flat so u cant really mouth the frame to the walls. What would be the best way to water proof it?
Im thinking painting the walls with sealer....
some sort of thin insulation...
reinforce the frame
and hang some water/mildew resistant drywall

what do you guys think?

here are some pics
pics

 

[DarkManX]

bump

 

[amdskip]

You probably need to get an estimate from a basement waterproofing company and let them tell you what your options are. After you figure that out I'd frame it out with studs/wiring/insulation and make it a nice place. You shouldn't need mildew resistant drywall if you get the basement waterproofed.

 

[Strk]

You could fill any cracks with hydrolic cement, put a couple of coats of drilock on the inside and put foundation coating on the outside.

 

[K1052]

Check the age and function of the sump pump. Make sure the outflow dumps far enough away from the foundation.

Also look at where your downspouts are dumping their water. If half the roof is draining into the dirt within a couple feet of the foundation that's going to be a problem.

That framing looks like crap, might as well tear it out before addressing patching and sealing the walls. With the walls sealed sufficiently well just put up a mosture barrier for a little extra protection for the drywall. You can do the outside foundation coating if you want to go through the trouble/expense.

 

[Jeff7]

What's the landscaping like? Does it slope toward or away from the house? Do you get water in the basement when it rains hard for a few days, or even when it only rains for one day?
If the landscaping is directing water toward the house, maybe get that looked at too.
Here where I live, the land slopes toward the house on 3 out of 4 sides, so when it would rain for a few days straight, water would not only try to come in through the sump (we do have a sump pump, and it would run nearly continuously to keep up with the rapid influx of water), but it would also come in through various cracks in the foundation walls and floor. It filled to 1-2" deep, before it could overflow and run out the back door. But of course, the ground back there also slopes toward the house, so that route is also not exactly the greatest to take.

A few contractors were consulted, and one had a two-step solution: a hole was drilled in the frost barrier of the foundation, below the basement floor. He said that the frost barrier could cause water to pool in the crushed stone bed beneath the floor, and it would then try to find a way out by way of floor cracks and the sump. To the hole, a large pipe was attached, which was buried. It drains into a drainage ditch along the side of our property.

Part 2 was to dig a trench, over 10' deep, and fill it with crushed stone. It acts as a sort of "reverse moat" if you want to think of it that way - the water seeps through the dirt until it comes to the crushed stone, at which point it trickles downward. At the bottom is a perforated pipe. The water will more likely choose the pipe as its avenue through which to flow, rather than soak back into the ground and continue towards the house. That pipe also drains to the ditch along the side of the property.

Does it all work? I really don't know. It's not rained nearly enough to allow for a definitive conclusion - and this area is in the midst of a drought warning, as has become tradition for late summer.
But I do like this idea better than waging the war from inside the basement. I think that it's easier to deal with if you keep the water from even reaching to your basement walls, rather than trying to keep it out once it's saturated the ground outside. It will find the tiniest cracks and come on in.
The other problem with such cracks is that, even if you patch them, they may continue to widen, which will just pull the patching cement right apart.


Painting with Drylock - don't put it on like paint, which you tend to spread on thin. Drylock is more like cake icing. One gallon of paint might give you 300-400 square feet of coverage; for Drylock, it's 75-100 square feet. In addition, they recommend multiple coats. Use a brush, not a roller, at least not for the first coat.

And get a dehumidifier if you don't have one already.

 

[dullard]

I think the advice above is sound.

The best way to deal with water entering the basement is from the outside. Make certain the water drains away from the basement and not right into it.

Most basements aren't insulated because they don't need to be insulated. (1) The ground is a nice comfortable temperature all year round so you aren't losing/gaining much heat. (2) The cement basement walls themselves are good insulation. You can certainly put up some insulation if you want. But it'll only have a minor effect on comfort and heating bills. But since insulation is cheap, you might as well do it when your walls are accessible.

 

[DarkManX]

after finding the sumppump it looks like it has never been used, its filled with dirt and sand. the house is on pretty level ground with one basement wall surrounded by a concrete slad and the other is just up againts the soil (the house is a twin). otherwise very little water actually seeps into the basement and its not like there is an issue of constant flooding. the basement does have a water/mildue type of odor I guess from just years of small amouths of water seeping into the wood paneling and carpet. the wood panneling is also slighty warped in certain areas. I just want to try to get it refinished before the end of the month before school starts up :\

 

[dullard]

Originally posted by: DarkManX
I just want to try to get it refinished before the end of the month before school starts up :\

If you want fast, then I would do this:

1) Remove the old framing, since it sucks and since working with old wood is just so much more work.

2) Patch any holes/cracks if need be.

3) Apply a good Drylock sealant paint to the walls. I think oil based is better water protection, but both types do well. The demos of this stuff is amazing. But it is very expensive and like said above you have to brush on massive quantities of it.

4) PL400 glue new framing to the walls. 1x3s like what you have should work. You could shoot nails in, but then you are making holes in the walls that you want to be waterproof.

5) Put in thin insulation.

6) Put new drywall up.

7) Buy a dehumidifier.

8) Repair the outside drainage some other day.

 

[K1052]

Originally posted by: DarkManX
after finding the sumppump it looks like it has never been used, its filled with dirt and sand. the house is on pretty level ground with one basement wall surrounded by a concrete slad and the other is just up againts the soil (the house is a twin). otherwise very little water actually seeps into the basement and its not like there is an issue of constant flooding. the basement does have a water/mildue type of odor I guess from just years of small amouths of water seeping into the wood paneling and carpet. the wood panneling is also slighty warped in certain areas. I just want to try to get it refinished before the end of the month before school starts up :\

edit: follow dullard's advice

clean out the sump pit/pump and make sure it works as well, it not functioning would be a nasty surprise in the event it is actually needed

 

[heyheybooboo]

From the pics it's hard to say whether that finish work is original to the house.

It appears that moisture is migrating through the walls though not to the extent that the walls are substantially wet. I notice what appears to be efflorescence - which is water soluble salts, depostied as moisture evaporates, on brick or concrete.

Efflorescence can usually be eliminated by simply wetting the surface with water and using a plastic bristle broom to scrub the area then rinsing with clean water. If the efflorescence does not come off, a mild solution of muriatic acid and water may be used to remove the stains.

The question becomes whether you wish to eliminate the problem or simply kick the can down the road for 10-20 years. If you wish to fix the problem you need to do it from the outside as noted. Make sure that water runs well away from your home on the slab patio, landscaping and roof drains. New exterior stucco finish, foundation coating (with 6-mil plastic vapor barrier protected by foam) and proper footing or foundation drains. You would have to dig down to the top of the footing with a one-foot trench around the house - except where the slab is, of course.

Place the slotted drain pipe directly on top of the footing and cover with a minimum 1-foot wash stone. Trench the drain pipe well away from the house at the low end of grade. Cover the wash stone with a mylar infiltration barrier to prevent silting but allow water through. Backfill and seed . . . .

I'm guessing you are now in shock ( ). If you are going to live in this house the next 20 years or more the exterior approach is the way to go.

If you elect the interior approach clean the walls as noted above and finish with Kilz or Drylok. I hate that crap btw because it is a band-aid and not a solution to your problem.

Best option is to build 2x4 frame walls on pressure-treated (PT)sills 3/4-inch off the masonry to allow air circulation behind the wall. This would give you a nice plumb finish wall.

If you elect to use the 'furring strip' method use pressure-treated wood directly on the masonry. If the wall is as uneven as you say this will result in a wavy finish wall as well. I'd be tempted to frame the corners and pull string lines from corner to corner and shim the strips to the strings for a nice straight wall. Use asphalt shingles, tar paper or rip your shims from the PT. Screw the furring strips to the wall with 'tap-cons'.

Your problems are not with the 'little holes' from the screws in the masonry wall - it's with the moisture penatrating the wall. Even with the 'alledged' drylok finish the moisture will seek its path of least resistance. In this case it will be down the wall and up thru the concrete floor slab - at least until the Drylok fails ....

That's the reason to fix the problem from the outside

 

[DarkManX]

im going to put a thin coat of hyrolic cement on the walls, then paint it with drilock and then start the frame.

 

[Fritzo]

Originally posted by: Strk
You could fill any cracks with hydrolic cement, put a couple of coats of drilock on the inside and put foundation coating on the outside.

Yep...that stuff works really well. Also, make sure you have gutters and evestroughs that are clean and in good locations. You need to divert water from your foundation. You might even be able to add soil to the outside to make a slop so water moves away from the houes.

It you're doing drywall, make sure you put up a vapor barier, and INSULATE! 4' underground keeps a pretty constant 55F, so it'll get chilly down there in the cooler months.

Keep any planed electrical outlets at least 4' off the floor, and add a sump pump with a backup sump (if applicable) as needed.

Also, they have moisture resistant wallboard. It's a bit more expensive and heavy, but works well in basements.