That's exactly HIS point. He is trying to steer the homeowner away from getting taken by these guys. Jay, if you and I had their track record, we'd be flipping burgers and frying potatoes for a living. But they spend lots of the excessive money they con from homeowners on advertising, often false, and they throw membership in some nefarious organization and a meaningless lifetime guarantee at the homeowner. LW repeats himself because what good would one post buried two years ago in this forum do? The truth must be kept current and in plain view. And once I saw the truth of his position, I decided to help out where I could.

Richard no one is disputing any of that. It's his attitude toward anyone new in this forum that doesn't completely agree with his point of view. My problem was a prime example. Instead of trying to help me find the cause of my problem, I got accused of being an inside water diverter guy.

Incidently, unless you find some magical way to evaporate water from your foundation, then all methods or solutions are diverters, even LWPs'.

As far as KYOs' point about dumping a bunch of gravel in a hole next to your house, essentially creating a big french drain, well in my house that would send a bunch a water directly to my basement floor. Point being is that he needs to realize that his solution is not always the only one nor always the best one. Conversation and friendly debate never hurt anyone. That's the point if being trying to make these past few days.

And Richard, believe it or not, I respect your knowledge and opinions. I don't necessarily agree with everything but that's fine, that's what discussion is for - that's why is was hard for me to grasp your position on all this.

Nobody is "dumping" any water anywhere. If it's there now, it was there before, but possibly contained in soils that when wet would create pressure on the wall. With the gravel there, it would not do so. In any event, it has been explained that the gravel serves another purpose also, which is protecting the membrane.

Since he has been under constant and personal attacks from "inside" system people, and you've seen who they are, I sort of can't blame him for assuming that anyone who questions him is just one of those guys under a different name.

He (LW) has convinced me of the effectiveness, and even more, of the simplicity of his methods. That's the basis for my position.

Maybe there is some purely scientific method that hypothetically will be better in some cases, but is it worth the 50 bucks worth of gravel to take days and maybe weeks messing around with testing and stuff? The man is not a soils engineer and never claimed to be one. The man is a successful basement waterproofing contractor, and for that he deserves respect, and he gets mine,as does anyone else, including you, Jay, who tries to help people to the best of their ability in this forum.

Help!! This question is for LicensedWaterproofer, but if anyone else can help, I'll take that too. We have a finished basement that is leaking. Everytime we have a professional come out to check it out and give an estimate, they ask us where the leak is. Since our basement is finished we can't answer that question. We are seeing water all along the west wall and coming in one wall of a closet on the south wall. However, we are told that this doesn't necessarily mean the water is coming in at all of these spots.
Water was only coming at first after heavy downpours, then it started coming in during relatively light rains. However, it hasn't rained all weekend and I see water this evening. The only H2O activity outside is that we were watering our lawn on the north side of the house!!!!! We don't know what to do. It doesn't seem like the water is coming in from above, but maybe coming in through the floor. We are at the end of our rope and the "professionals" don't seem to provide any "professional help".
Thanks!

No one can replace LicensedWaterproofer, but I'll do my best!

1. How old is the house?
2. What is the foundation made of? (block, concrete, brick?)
3. How thick are the foundation walls?
4. What is the dimension from basement floor to grade?
5. Are there any trees or large bushes near the foundation?
6. Does your yard slope away from the house in all directions?
7. Are your roof downspouts connected to underground piping?
8. Do you have a house trap that carries storm water as well as sewage? (common in older city areas)
9. Do you have any idea what your soil is generally like?

Do your best to answer these questions, and we'll see what the answers tell us. They might be able to convert a wild guess into an educated guess.

ok so these post go back to 2005 and I can't find an answer among them??
I have a basement that leaks sometimes alot sometimes a little sometimes in heavy rain sometimes in the winter sometimes in light rain. So I figure it is ground water and I don't know how I can control that but I need to do something so if someone can make a suggestion as to where to start the walls were (ithink this is correct) tared?? by previous owners and some are painted do I need to remove all that stuff first then what, there are so many product out there I am not sure where to go, but I am not digging a trench around the house to do anything from the outside we have a driveway that is built right up tothe side of the house. Thank happens to be the only side that doesn't have any water???? Can anyone provide some simple step by step?

quote:

Originally posted by Richard Hetzel:
That's exactly HIS point. He is trying to steer the homeowner away from getting taken by these guys. Jay, if you and I had their track record, we'd be flipping burgers and frying potatoes for a living. But they spend lots of the excessive money they con from homeowners on advertising, often false, and they throw membership in some nefarious organization and a meaningless lifetime guarantee at the homeowner. LW repeats himself because what good would one post buried two years ago in this forum do? The truth must be kept current and in plain view. And once I saw the truth of his position, I decided to help out where I could.

Can't be much help if you rejecz the one approach that is most likely to cure your problem! There is NOTHING that can be done from the inside to prevent water entering from the outside. Yes, people can install very expensive water diverting systems that might keep water off the basement floor, but they will NOT stop water from entering the basement, and they will not stop the intrusion of insects, vermin, or radon gas, and they will not inhibit the possibility of mold growth in your basement.

If you'd like to know the simple steps that will help you identify your problem, which the water-diverting people never do, and the possible solutions to your problem, let us know, and I will be happy to outline them for you. You see, water in the basement isn't the disease, it is a symptom. To cure the disease once and for all, you must first identify it. It is a very safe bet that the disease lies outside your foundation walls, and therefore, that's where the only real cure can be administered. When you're ready to listen, I'm ready to speak.

Ok but I've heard that if you don't use the right soil that you will create a bigger problem, you can't just reuse what you dug up?
And what do I do with the side of the house where the driveway is up against the house?

Thanks for the help, I'm listening.

quote:

Originally posted by Richard Hetzel:
Can't be much help if you rejecz the one approach that is most likely to cure your problem! There is NOTHING that can be done from the inside to prevent water entering from the outside. Yes, people can install very expensive water diverting systems that might keep water off the basement floor, but they will NOT stop water from entering the basement, and they will not stop the intrusion of insects, vermin, or radon gas, and they will not inhibit the possibility of mold growth in your basement.

If you'd like to know the simple steps that will help you identify your problem, which the water-diverting people never do, and the possible solutions to your problem, let us know, and I will be happy to outline them for you. You see, water in the basement isn't the disease, it is a symptom. To cure the disease once and for all, you must first identify it. It is a very safe bet that the disease lies outside your foundation walls, and therefore, that's where the only real cure can be administered. When you're ready to listen, I'm ready to speak.

If the foundation isn't leaking on that side, you may not have to do anything on that side (the driveway side).

First, check all above-grade parts of your foundation and the lower parts of your house for a place where leaks may be located. A visual check and a carefully controlled hose test will accomplish this. Let's assume both tests show no above-ground leak.

Next, if your house is one of the rare ones in your region that connect to combined sewers (where both storm water and sewage are combined in one pipe), have an honest plumber snake out your house trap. If you're not in an older city, this probably doesn't apply.

Now, do the garden hose test. Place the hose near the foundation on the ground, and let it run full blast, and watch inside for water entry. Take written notes. If you get water, move about 4 to 6 feet along the foundation and do the same test, and again, watch for water. Go all around your foundation, keeping areful notes. When you're done, you will have an indication of where the wall leaks. You only need to dig in those locations.

Possible reason for leaks:
1. Cracked foundation walls
2. Absence of, or failure of, foundation dampproofing.
3. Very high water table.

Possible reasons for cracked walls or failure of dampproofing:
1. Hydrostatic pressure in the soil
2. Tree roots
3. Improper backfill (rocks, debris, stumps)
4. Insufficient dampproofing applied (such as spray coats)
5. Insufficient wall thickness and/or reinforcing

How old is the house? What is the foundation made of? (concrete or block, or in very old houses, stone or brick) What is the dimension from the basement floor to the ground outside? How thick are the foundation walls? Are any cracks visible from inside?

The house is approx 60 years old, the foundation is block, I can't see any cracks on the walls that look like they are covered in tar? the other walls that are painted don't have any cracks that I can see outside od a close up inspection for small cracks I'm not sure of the foundation wall thickness if I go by the basement windows? I would say about 15 inches does that sound right?
the dimension fo the floor to outside I just want to make sure I understand the question are you saying measure the floor from the inside then take a measurement of the paramiter of the house? Would that also help me with a more accurate thickness of the foundation walls?

What I'd like to know is how much earth the foundation walls are holding back...approximately. So if you can somehow measure from the basement floor to the surface of the ground outside...maybe at a window...it just has to be to the even foot, don't worry about inches, because it varies from place to place anyway.

It's unlikely the wall is 15 inches thick...blocks come in 6, 8, 10 and 12-inch thicknesses. Maybe it's 12.

The previous owner was ill-advised to tar the inside of the walls. As you know, it didn't work. Once you get your basement dry, you can furr out the wall with wood studs, and finish the basement with gypsum board. Now they make paperless board which is less likely to support mold growth. But first things first, let's find out what the problem is.

It may be that you only have to dig in one place. Yes, you shouldn't replace the same soil, unless it is pure sand. You only need to dig back about 18 inches, and you should backfill with pea gravel, after you've waterproofed the wall. If you need to waterproof, it's a really simple and inexpensive task, as you'll know if you've read back some of the posts in this forum.

Hey LWP,
I wrote to you on this forum back on January 22-- from South Bend, IN & wondered if you ever came down this way on biz. Have a bit of a problem in what's supposed to be my son's bedroom in the basement & want to see if you could come down to take a look & give an estimate to do the job. Please shoot me an email at sradelich@lesea.org so we can talk directly; cell number is 574-210-9584 if you'd rather call. Thanks, looking forward to your response-- Stefan

So I google for information because my basement's gotten a bit soggy again from the Midwest spring water dump and I'm wondering if I should finally call somebody, and google leads me here...

LW, I appreciate all the great information you have shared and I've committed what I can to memory; I won't be totally clueless at least when I do call somebody (and I think I'm going to have to).

But your message really gets muddied up, bud. I'll be honest, I didn't get through all 42 pages - I read the first one... well, most of the first part of it, then it got late. I got the point: Don't settle for just treating the *signs* of a leak; find the *cause* of the leak and fix it dead. Okay, okay, got it.

But the name-calling is childish, and believe it or not this 45-year-old mother of 4 thinks enough of you to register just to let you know that although I respect your opinions as a licensed waterproofer, you risk losing respect because of the name-calling.

Again, I didn't read all the posts, but the two I read from the person I think you were calling names most recently contained nothing to deserve that response.

There's an edit button; you know how to use it. You don't have to blow other people's candles out just to show how bright yours is!

In defense of LicensedWaterproofer, and because you haven't read enough to know why he lost his temper on occasion, the facts of the matter are these. LicensedWaterproofer has mounted a solitary campaign against the snake-oil salesmen who pervade the basement "waterproofing" business, and attempt to scam unknowing homeowners. Because of that, he has been under attack from those very snake-oil salesmen, constantly, for years. He has over and over again explained patiently his views on basement waterproofing, and has backed his statements with links to many independent sources. He has spent countless hours attempting to help people, for no financial benefit to himself.

For that effort, he was rewarded with vicious attack after vicious attack. Those who attacked him have never posted anything which would be of use to readers of this forum. They come in, take their shots at him, and they leave. The latest of them was the most insidious of them. The latest one attempted to attack the ethics of LicensedWaterproofer, again without contributing anything of substance himself. You can see how long this latest attacker stayed around to help people. No, he may have accomplished his goal, because LicensedWaterproofer may have left this forum altogether, and frankly, if he did, I cannot blame him.

So, before you start making judgements, scroll back a few pages, and you will find the constant attacks with no attempt to help people. Then you judge for yourself, based on ALL the evidence. Imagine how you would feel after such treatment. My guess is, it wouldn't be very good, would it?

Now, if you need any help with a basement problem, I will try to fill LicensedWaterproofer's enormous boots and help as best I can, but I cannot begin to match his decades of experience, or his good will, or his knowledge of his profession. Maybe I can almost match his willingness to continue to help, in the face of constant harassment. So far, the harassers have not gotten to me.

Thank you for your post, but please, when you have time, look back further in this thread. You will see what I mean.

Richard,

I applaud you for the way you have come to LWP's defense and could not have said it better. Yes, trying to fill LWP's shoes on this subject would be a huge undertaking, and I do hope he returns, but I have come to respect you as well and know you will do everything to help the people that visit this Forum.

I have talked to him on the phone myself and yes, he is a little rough around the edges, and over the internet, sometimes words can be taken in the wrong context as you cannot hear the inflections in someone's voice.

LWP HAS, been attacked numerous times in this forum by the "Snake-Oil Salesmen" and as you said, they offer No Help. Anything else I would have to say would be more reiteration of what you have said.

I have gone through much of the same as LWP in my business of selling "Synthetic Oil"...

I hope he realizes that if he doesn't come back, THEY WIN..... and I for one, and I know you also, don't want that.

I am on several Forums with my oil and I realized that. I let the BS of these guys roll off my back and continued on. I did learn that if I held my tongue and just kept answering with undeniable facts, these people didn't win, I did, and continue to do so.

I want them on there, confronting me. Because everytime they do, the hits on my web site go up, my email always has people asking about AMSOIL and the phone rings with orders.

Yes, in my case, there are financial rewards, but, the big thrill is, I WIN, NOT THEM !!!

I, like LWP, may not be good at the right words, or be very elloquent, but I hope I got my point across properly


Doc

I just went back and read from page 38 where Kyo made entrance. Sorry, but the responses seemed unwarranted in a professional forum of grown-ups. Maybe in a bar after happy hour (or a grade-school playground), but not here. Just my opinion.

If y'all are that suspicious about the identities of your different posters being the same person, quit pointing fingers and check the IP address(es).

LW is a big boy. I can wait for his response from his own self, thanks. If he doesn't come back to fend for himself, it's a pity but the world will still turn. But I don't think he can leave his baby under the care of others forever. I may be wrong.

Re my basement issues, I suspect the "uphill" leak was a window leaking because I had rearranged some groundcover incorrectly and messed up the runoff so the window well filled up; and the "downhill" leak is likely from tiny joint cracks that will need to be fixed (yes, from the outside) and hopefully "should not be major" as it is at driveway level but not right against driveway (dirt strip between driveway and house). Presently diverting what I can with spare garden hose held down by sand bags funneling it out the garage door - cheap (but bulky) indoor drain, right?

Cheap Trick (not really, it's AC/DC, but Cheap Trick works better here) - Dirty deeds, done dirt cheap. ;-)

Looking forward to your return, LW. If not... well, thanks for the information I was able to use - some from LW and some from Kyo. Both have valuable information, like it or not, and I thank you both.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: YouMustBeKidding,

Go back several more pages and you'll find more. We don't have the power to check IP addresses. We are all just people who volunteer our time and whatever expertise may have stuck to us over the years.

If you want my opinion, you'll find it back there too, but I think Kyo was a pedantic fool. He raised no valid points except to make a huge fuss over fifty bucks worth of pea gravel. He has never answered the post of a homeowner who is desperate for information, unlike LicensedWaterproofer, who has answered hundreds, and has even spent time on the phone with homeowners who posted here, despite the fact that they live hundreds of miles form him and he had nothing whatsoever to gain.

I think he is sorely missed here. Someone needs to fight the battle against the scam artists, and he did it valiantly and with truth and facts, plus the benefits of his years of successfuk work,

I have my personal bad experience with lots of companies trying to charge big money for making inside drainage instead of fixing the real reason of water leaks.

I do agree with a lot of what was said by LWP and other (not all!) members of this board.

I am wondering if someone can help me to locate an honest/experienced basement waterproofing contractor. My house is located in Old Bridge, NJ (Middlesex county).

My basement has no known cracks in the walls or floor. All water seems to sip through the perimeter only. The problem is that I have a deck, which probably makes outside works difficult or impossible. On the other hand, all water seems to come mostly from another side of the basement.

I would appreciate a good advice from real professionals.

We have a house that had some water problems that were "taken care of" by the previous owner. from the looks of it the floor was jackhammered and a drain was installed to a sump pump, then covered back with concrete. they also installed some kind of white plastic wall from the floor to about 3ft up. the rest of the wall is covered by some kind of white stucco type stuff.

the problem is there is still one corner that is visibly wet and water drips down the corner of the wall behind the white plastic wall, and into the sump. no water comes through the wall or floor that we can see. there is mold building up here that i clean every month or so. the basement smells musty and we want to address this problem while the basement is unfinished. water drips in even if there has not been rain, but comes in heavier when the rain is heavy. the patio directly above this spot is sinking towards the house. you can tell previous owners tried to jam up the corner on the inside with sealers or cement but the water has busted through.

I want to rip up the paver patio, dig up the ground around the foundation and take care of the problem, but i read through this thread and couldn't find any step by step instruction on how to treat the wall once you dig it up. what products do you use? how to apply them to the wall?

its a poured concrete basement. any help is appreciated

Amulet @ Peete
Go to my site. You should