Leak in my basement :(

[Squisher]

I?ve got a leak in my basement coming from under the drywall. Behind the drywall is a poured concrete wall. In the 4 years I?ve lived here I have never had any problems like this. The house was built in 2001. This leak started about the time I started to run the sprinkler system a couple of weeks ago so assumed it was related to that, but now I've gotten some water in the basement after a short heavy rain yesterday. So, now I?m thinking that it might have something to do with a failure in the drainage tile system, but I don?t know.

Drawing of basement layout (sorry for the crude drawing)

Basement wall before the carpeting got wet

I adjusted the sprinkler heads so that they weren?t spraying at all and dug up around them to expose 8? of funny tube, then cycled the sprinkler system, and made sure there weren?t any leaks down below. I?ve now got them spraying nicely away from the house and zero leaks.

I also pulled back all the sod along that wall and filled with top soil where it needed to assure that there was a slope away from the house and packed the topsoil nice and tight to the wall.

After doing all this work and still getting a little water after a sprinkler cycle I really thought it was a problem of the lowest sprinkler head (back by the doorwall) was draining all the water in the system after a cycle, but now after that 15 minute rain storm yesterday and all the water that came in, I?m not so sure given the fact that the too numerous to count all day rain storms I?ve endured over the last four years went by without any problems. I?m not in a high water table. My sump pump only cycles during heavy rains.

I'm going to pull off some drywall to see if any insulation got wet and address any issues there, but I need a solution for the leak.

Where do you think I should go from here? If it is a drainage tile problem, what is the best thing to do?

UPDATE:

Well, I opened up the wall and found the source of the leak. There was crack in the concrete wall that had been caulked over. It rained a couple of times today and water poured out of the crack about 4 inches off the floor.

pic

The good news is that that area is only 2 feet under grade.

The strange thing is that after I pulled some of the loose caulk away was that a lot of the water coming out of the crack that then drained out of 1/8" vertical separation between the wall and the floor.

Looking around the interwebs it looks like every crack repair company says their solution is better than all the rest. Anybody got any input?

 

[rudder]

These are a pain in the ass. I had to move 6 bodies before I could get some repairmen in my basement.

 

[Miramonti]

It sounds like its either a drainage problem or leakage from the sprinkler system or its feed. How deep underground is the basement floor? You prolly have to do some digging to be sure. If it continues, you'll get mold and you definitely don't want that. If you don't want to dig, and its not an obvious drainage problem, maybe you can cap the sprinklers and turn the valve on and see what happens after a few days. I'd let it dry first tho and perhaps water the lawn manually until it does.

(if it is drainage tho, I'd think you'd notice it after heavy rains etc.)

 

[Squisher]

Originally posted by: jjsole
It sounds like its either a drainage problem or leakage from the sprinkler system or its feed. How deep underground is the basement floor? You prolly have to do some digging to be sure. If it continues, you'll get mold and you definitely don't want that. If you don't want to dig, and its not an obvious drainage problem, maybe you can cap the sprinklers and turn the valve on and see what happens after a few days. I'd let it dry first tho and perhaps water the lawn manually until it does.

(if it is drainage tho, I'd think you'd notice it after heavy rains etc.)

At the back of the house the basement is level with grade, at the front it's 9 feet deep.

 

[keird]

This may sound silly, but are the gutters on the house clean and clear of debris? Have you checked?

 

[Vette73]

Could juts be a craxck in the wall or a more common seperation of the wall and foundation and letting in water.

The last one is/was my problem. Had to cut out the old drywall and patch up the corner. Have not had a hard rain yet so not sure if it took.

 

[boomerang]

Tear the drywall off the wall and you should be able to see the source of the leak. The concrete will be stained. If it's up high on the wall, your choice will be to repair from the inside and hope for the best, or excavate and waterproof from the outside.

If it's down low at the perimeter drain area, my guess is that it's seeping under the wall between the wall and the foundation. AFAIK, the only fix for that is from the exterior.

I'm no expert on this stuff by any means. I only know what I write here from my own reading over the years. I may be giving bad advice so take that into consideration.

I am confident that with the drywall removed, that you will find the source of the leak. If you want professional help or advice, that would be the time to make the call.

Sorry to hear of your misfortune.

Edit: Overlooked your post about the grade in the rear. Adjust my advice accordingly.

 

[Squisher]

UPDATE:

Well, I opened up the wall and found the source of the leak. There was crack in the concrete wall that had been caulked over. It rained a couple of times today and water poured out of the crack about 4 inches off the floor.

pic

The good news is that that area is only 2 feet under grade.

The strange thing is that after I pulled some of the loose caulk away was that a lot of the water coming out of the crack that then drained out of 1/8" vertical separation between the wall and the floor.

Looking around the interwebs it looks like every crack repair company says their solution is better than all the rest. Anybody got any input?

 

[DrPizza]

Chisel away at the crack, apply hydraulic cement. Put fans on the wall to dry. Paint concrete wall with one of those special paints made for sealing out the water. THEN, if you don't succeed (and you probably will), start considering the professionals.

 

[zinfamous]

Originally posted by: Squisher
I

Basement wall before the carpeting got wet

<--- curious about what you keep in that wooden box on the coffee table.

 

[ViviTheMage]

clean that crap quick, it can get pretty bad.

 

[Jeff7]

Time for some manner of French Drain outside.

The basement at my parents' house flooded every time it rained enough to really saturate the ground - two or three days of continuous rainfall would do it.
The sump pump would run almost continuously as the bed of gravel under the foundation kept filling with water, but that didn't do anything for the numerous cracks in the walls and floor, through with water could flow at a pretty rapid pace. It would get about two inches deep at some points before it would simply drain out the back door.

The solution: A trench around the front of the house, about 10' deep, with a perforated pipe at the bottom, covered over with crushed stone; the trench then runs out to a drainage ditch along the edge of the property. That gives the water an alternate route, rather than saturating the ground around the foundation and forcing its way through.
In addition, a large hole was drilled in the frost barrier, which is below the level of the basement floor. A pipe was attached to that, and it also runs to the drainage ditch. That way, the water should no longer become trapped behind the frost barrier; otherwise, it forced its way up through the floor.

It cost a few thousand dollars, required a heap of crushed stone larger than a Hummer, and the large backhoe's tires wrecked the lawn (which wasn't unexpected), but on the plus side, my parents finally don't need to keep everything in the basement elevated on pieces of 2x4 wood.


The alternative would have been to fix the landscaping - the ground slopes downward toward the house on two sides. On the other two sides, the slope runs parallel along the house, so that's not especially helpful either. Fixing all of that would have likely required a large shift in a local tectonic plate, effectively raising the entire foundation about 15 feet. I believe that falls into the category, "Not bloody likely."

 

[jupiter57]

Originally posted by: DrPizza
Chisel away at the crack, apply hydraulic cement. Put fans on the wall to dry. Paint concrete wall with one of those special paints made for sealing out the water. THEN, if you don't succeed (and you probably will), start considering the professionals.

What he said!
(This coming from a professional!)
Hydraulic cement has never failed me in the past 30 years.

 

[caddlad]

Hydraulic cement has never failed me in the past 30 years.

Quickcrete and a trowel. Mix it up in small doses, as it will set in a hury.
Good stuff that will seal even an active leak.

I'll have the Jagermeister, plz.

 

[boomerang]

Originally posted by: DrPizza
Chisel away at the crack, apply hydraulic cement. Put fans on the wall to dry. Paint concrete wall with one of those special paints made for sealing out the water. THEN, if you don't succeed (and you probably will), start considering the professionals.

I've never used hydraulic cement although I understand how it works, why one would use it and agree with it's use in this instance.

Would he want to make sure when he did the chiseling that he undercut where he chiseled? It seems like otherwise the hydraulic cement would just want to pop out as it expanded.

Just a thought.

 

[Red Squirrel]

I swear by drop ceiling for a basement. So much easier to locate possible leaks. I'm even debating on removing the drywall in my own basement and replace it with drop ceiling, when I get to the basement. The plaster job is super horrible anyway so I'd have to practically redo it. Drop ceiling can be nice if you get tiles that are square (not rectangle ones) and not as "office" style.

Also that looks like a neat style of basement, as the ground is not level so you have a patio door (guessing) from the basement. Not something you see every day.

 

[lupi]

I just wish I had a basement.

 

[ponyo]

Originally posted by: DrPizza
Chisel away at the crack, apply hydraulic cement. Put fans on the wall to dry. Paint concrete wall with one of those special paints made for sealing out the water. THEN, if you don't succeed (and you probably will), start considering the professionals.

I did this when my basement leaked like 5 years ago and haven't had a problem. I had to patch a hole size of a baseball.

 

[halik]

Originally posted by: jupiter57

Originally posted by: DrPizza
Chisel away at the crack, apply hydraulic cement. Put fans on the wall to dry. Paint concrete wall with one of those special paints made for sealing out the water. THEN, if you don't succeed (and you probably will), start considering the professionals.

What he said!
(This coming from a professional!)
Hydraulic cement has never failed me in the past 30 years.

step by step

Also that is exactly what that did to fix concrete leaks on one of those home improvement tv shows

 

[Squisher]

Originally posted by: boomerang

Originally posted by: DrPizza
Chisel away at the crack, apply hydraulic cement. Put fans on the wall to dry. Paint concrete wall with one of those special paints made for sealing out the water. THEN, if you don't succeed (and you probably will), start considering the professionals.

I've never used hydraulic cement although I understand how it works, why one would use it and agree with it's use in this instance.

Would he want to make sure when he did the chiseling that he undercut where he chiseled? It seems like otherwise the hydraulic cement would just want to pop out as it expanded.

Just a thought.

I've used hydraulic cement before, twice. Once to seal up a crack similar to this one in a block wall. It was very small, at the base of a wall that had a smaller leak. I chiseled a rough undercut for 3/4", then Veed it out another inch. The other time I had to replace the conduit going out my garage when it corroded and dropped down entering my house (under a portion of my water garden). I used it to set the conduit into the wall.

I've probably still have the bag.

 

[Rubycon]

I abhor anything that leaks.

 

[BeauJangles]

Originally posted by: DrPizza
Chisel away at the crack, apply hydraulic cement. Put fans on the wall to dry. Paint concrete wall with one of those special paints made for sealing out the water. THEN, if you don't succeed (and you probably will), start considering the professionals.

:thumbsup:

I actually just fixed a few cracks using hydraulic cement and the Behr water sealing paint. The can says it can resist up to 10 psi of water. It's white and thick as hell. And it works.

OP, definitely try fixing this yourself before hiring anyone.

 

[Gothgar]

Originally posted by: rudder
These are a pain in the ass. I had to move 6 bodies before I could get some repairmen in my basement.

lol


and nice liquor cabinet

 

[Rubycon]

Nice Klipsch speakers. Cornwall's?

 

[Mojoed]

Originally posted by: Rubycon
Nice Klipsch speakers. Cornwall's?

Nice catch! They look like they may be Chorus II's. I've had Forte II's for about 15 years now. They rock!

</derail>