Brief Review on Various Leaky Basement Problems

Mar 13, 2012

A leaky basement will typically fall into two categories:

  1. Water that comes through the walls; and
  2. Water that comes up from under the floor.

Water seeping through the foundation wall indicates the waterproofing has failed, or a foundation crack or other penetration has begun to leak. Water coming up from under the floor indicates that the weeping tile foundation drainage system has failed and water is not being removed from around the base of the foundation.

Water can come through the foundation wall a number of ways. Cracks, tie rode holes, penetrations for electric and gas utilities, as well as sill plates and construction joints, all pose the potential for leaks.

Water coming up from under the floor would normally be corrected by installing a new foundation drainage system either from outside or inside.

Most of the problems that cause a wet basement can be successfully repaired from the inside without the need to excavate, though outside repairs can also be very successful.

If your basement smells funny, or you see water on the floor, don’t wait to take action. Fix the problem. Mold grows extremely fast in a damp environment and propagates inside the wall, requiring that the wall materials be removed and disposed of. The sooner the leak is fixed, the better to minimize water damage and mold growth.

Either the basement leaks, or it doesn’t.

For more information on basement leaks, spend some time on our website, or have one of The Crack Doctors experts visit you at your home and assess your foundation repair needs.

Interesting fact: Basement dehumidifiers and the slope or grade of the ground outside are only concerns when the basement is not waterproof. A waterproof basement will not have these concerns.

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