Common Problems

Basement Waterproofing Common Problems

All basements have one thing in common. They are all placed in a big hole in the ground. The first thing a builder does is dig a hole in the ground in order to make the basement. The problem with a big hole in the ground is that it fills up with water when it rains. This is the essence of the basement waterproofing problem. The best way to think about a basement in waterproofing terms is to think about it as a retention pond. A retention pond is a hole that fills with water when it rains. A basement is a retention pond with walls, a floor, and a drain. The walls are designed to stop water and soil from filling up the basement from the sides. They hold back the water like a dam. The water that is held back on the outside of the foundation continues to drain down through the soil to the bottom of the original hole. This water begins to fill up around the bottom of the hole just like a retention pond. In order to keep this water out of the basement, the water level needs to be controlled. The water level needs to be kept below the floor. This is done with a drainage system and a sump pump. The drainage system and pump are designed to control the water level that builds up under the basement floor and relieve any hydrostatic pressure that builds up around the foundation. A basement will stay dry as long as the foundation walls are solid and the drainage system effectively controls the hydrostatic pressure that builds up around the foundation. If either component fails, then water will enter the basement.

3 Common Ways Water Enters a Basement

There are three main ways that water can enter a basement. Water can come in over the top of the foundation wall, through the foundation wall, or up from under the floor. Each one of these possibilities has different causes and different solutions.

• Over the Top of the Foundation Wall
  Ground water can enter a basement over the top of the foundation wall when the top of the wall is below grade. Some builders make mistakes and do not build the wall high enough above grade. When it rains hard, water can build up around the top of the foundation. If the ground water pools up higher than the top of the foundation wall, then water can enter the basement over the top of the wall. Water seeps in through the siding, masonry, or stucco that is designed to be above ground where there would be no pooling of water. The top of the foundation can sometimes be sealed to stop the infiltration of water, but most of the time an exterior drainage system needs to be installed to control the level of the water outside of the house. The water needs to be kept at a level below the top of the wall. If the water can never pool higher than the wall, then it cannot enter in over the top of the wall.
• Thru the Foundation Walls
  Foundation walls can be constructed out of many different materials. They are generally constructed of concrete block or poured concrete, but some are stone, brick, clay tile, and even wood. Foundation walls can leak water in many different ways depending on the materials used to construct the walls.
  • Stone, brick, and wooden foundation walls leak from all over. The wooden foundations leak because the wood begins to decay and leaks develop. Stone and brick foundations leak because of all the mortar joints. Each mortar joint is basically a crack in the wall that is plugged with a mortar that deteriorates over time. Water is erosive and over time it breaks down the porous mortar. It is difficult to just plug a leak in a wall with so many mortar joints. Generally, the water will just find a new mortar joint to seep out of. Directing the water seepage to a drainage system is the most reliable method of waterproofing for these types of foundations.
  • Block foundations have mortar joints, but they also have a unique feature the others don’t have. Block foundations are hollow. A cinder block consists of four outside walls, one inner wall, and two hollows in the middle. This is why block foundations mostly leak from the bottom of the wall. Ground water seeps into the hollows of the cinder blocks and drains to the bottom of the wall. The water builds up inside the bottom blocks and eventually the pressure increases to the point where water seeps out of the bottom of the wall. Block foundations are difficult to seal because the water builds up within the hollows of the block. Directing the rain water to a drainage system is once again the most reliable method for waterproofing block foundations.
  • Concrete foundation walls are different than the others. Concrete foundations are designed to be a one piece solid foundation without any mortar joints or cracks. The problem is that cracks often occur after the foundation is poured. Most cracks actually develop shortly after a foundation is poured. Cracks appear during the curing process, because concrete shrinks as it cures. As the wall shrinks, the concrete pulls in different directions and cracks develop. These cracks are small and do not typically leak right away. However, the erosive nature of water takes over and eventually the cracks will leak. Foundation cracks can also form because of structural foundation movement. Foundations are often built on unstable and moving soil. This soil creates movement in the foundation, which will create cracks. A structural foundation solution along with a waterproofing solution is necessary to solve these problems.
  • Concrete foundation walls can also leak in several other ways. Water commonly leaks around utility pipes that exit through the foundation walls. Water, gas, electrical pipes, and sewer pipes are all sources of water seepage. Water can also leak in through a rusty tie rod. Tie rods are metal rods that are in the wall. These rods held the wood forms in place when the foundation was poured. Over time this metal can rust and leak. Concrete walls can also leak through honeycomb areas in the wall. A honeycomb is an area of the concrete wall that is very porous. Usually a bad rocky mix of concrete contributes to a honeycomb situation.
• From under the Basement Floor
  Even though the floor of a basement is made of concrete, water can still enter the basement from under the concrete floor. Water enters around the cove joint and up through cracks in the middle of the floor. The cove joint is the area around the perimeter of the basement where the floor and the walls meet. The cove joint is basically a crack that surrounds the entire basement. There is a natural separation between the floor and the wall, because they were poured at two separate times. The seam between the concrete foundation wall and floor is not waterproof. Water enters when the water table under the floor rises too high. As the water level rises, the hydrostatic pressure builds. The pressure builds high enough water to force the water through the cove joint and the cracks in the floor. It is nearly impossible to seal the basement floor from the hydrostatic pressure that can build under it. The pressure is great enough in some cases to heave the floor upwards. This creates new cracks for the water to enter through. Hydrostatic pressure builds under basement floors because of a lack of a properly functioning drainage system. Some homes were built with no drainage systems and some have old clay or plastic drain tiles that have crushed or clogged over the years. A properly functioning drainage system controls the water level at an acceptable level below the basement floor. Just like the overflow drain in a bathtub, a basement drainage system is designed to drain the rising waters before they can leak out onto the floor. Through the years, basement drainage systems have continued to advance. The Basement Authorities’ Water Tunnel is the latest in technology for relief of hydrostatic pressure under the basement floor. Ask your local certified expert for more details.

Other Ways Water Can Enter

Sump Pumps

The water in any basement drainage system has to be drained somewhere. It drains to the sump pump. It is crucial to have a good sump pump system to handle all of the water coming from the drainage system. The sump pump is the key to the whole system, and is also the most likely fail. Your dry basement relies on the pump to lift the water under the floor, and discharge it to the outside of the home. Pumps are mechanical devices and are subject to failure. This is why having a reliable sump pump is so important.

Every basement will have different pumping needs. The soils and water table around the house dictate the appropriate pumping capacities. Great care should be taken to match the right pump with any given needed capacities.

Redundancy is the key to avoiding sump pump failure. It is always recommended to have two pumps in any sump pit. If one pump should fail, then the other will take over. Sump failure due to electrical outage can be avoided with the installation of battery backup pumps and generators. The more time dedicated to sump pump redundancy will lower the risk of flooding from sump pump failure.

Window Wells

Window wells are also a common source of basement seepage. Window wells are like mini basements. They require sturdy walls and a functioning drain in order to not fill with water. Most of the time a window well will fill with water because there is a clogged drain or no drain at all. The filling water inside the window well rises higher enough to leak in through the window . A drain needs to be installed to keep the water level from rising inside the window well. The drains can be installed on the inside or outside of the house and usually drain to the sump pump.

Doorways

Basements that have outside stairways can often times leak through the door. Rain water runs down the outside stairwell and pools at the bottom. Most stairwells have a drain at the bottom which drains this water away, but these drains can clog up over time. This causes the stairwell to fill up like a swimming pool. The water rushes into the basement through the sides and bottom of the door. The installation of a clog-free drain across the inside of the door is a good permanent solution for this problem.

Your Health and Water Damage

The real problem with basements is the damage that is caused when they leak. Water in a basement can quickly damage drywall, carpet, trim work, and other building products. Many homeowners lose prized possessions that had been stored in what was thought to be a safe place. It doesn’t take long for water to create thousands of dollars worth of damage. Even a small amount of seepage can lead to mold issues that could potentially threaten the whole house.
Property values are lower with basement seepage as well. No one wants to buy a house that has a basement waterproofing problem. They don’t want the bad smells, potential mold problems, potential cost of repairs, and most importantly the hassle of cleaning up water in the basement.
It is the health damage that is critical to most homeowners. Wet basements cause the growth of mold, mildew, dust mites, and other airborne allergens. The mold and mildew can contaminate the air quality in the home causing asthma and other respiratory problems. Most homeowners will not take a risk when their health is involved, and neither should you. Your health does not have a price tag. It cannot be replaced and, it should not be risked at any cost.

Common Problems, Unique Solutions

Although most basements experience similar problems, each problem is unique in its own way. Your Basement Authorities' certified expert is rigorously trained on the proper solutions for every possible basement waterproofing problem. Your local expert will have access to the most innovative products and ideas on the market. The proper solution will be matched with your unique waterproofing problem, and will leave you with the most important thing
A Dry Basement.