I have a 40 year old home in New Jersey. Cinder block (and I do mean cinder) walls. Full basement in an area with clay soil and a rather high water table (NOT flood plain).

I estimate that 60% of the surrounding area is concrete (used as a pool deck). There is an existing sump pump in the Northwest corner of the basement that is active during very rainy periods. The opposite corner of the basement has both the gas line and water line in the wall. That wall represents the front of the home between the stoop and the driveway (about 15 feet). There have been a handful of times during the past 12 years where water has begin to seep through that wall during heavy rain. First around the water pipe (6" from the floor) and then through the wall proper. Like a typical homeowner I troweled hydraulic cement from the basement floor to just above the first course of block on that inside wall thinking that would help but probably making matter worse.

In the spring of 2007 we had a Nor' Easter that dumped 9" of water in my area. My wife and I spent 48 straight hours vacuuming, pumping, pushing and sweeping water to try to avoid a major flood. Much of the water was coming from that wall although there were other problem areas.

Now my dilemma. I was planning to address the outside of that 15 foot wall this summer. I called an engineer that looked around the property to try to assess any obvious problems with downspouts and grade. When we spoke about the wall he suggested that I:
- excavate a trench to the foundation floor
- waterproof the wall
- dig a sump pit in one end of the trench OUTSIDE
- install a pump OUTSIDE in the sump pit trench surrounded by a 18"-24" perf standpipe running up to grade level
- run the sump pipe up and out the stand pipe
- lay a gravel base and place perf pipe along the trench leading towards the outside sump pit
- place additional gravel in the pit
- cover with landscape fabric and then dirt.

I'm a little uneasy installing a pump in the ground outside for a few reasons.
1. Currently, I don't have electricity there.
2. I couldn't install a check valve as water will assuredly freeze in the sump pump pipe
3. Even covered I think that diameter stand pipe is a liability hazard.

Last Sunday I spent an entire day digging by hand (the trench to-be is 2' wide by 5' deep by 12' long) and I realized that at my age (50) this will take forever. If I do all of this work MINUS THE PUMP the pump, am I improving my situation at all? That is, if I seal the wall as best I can, and fill with gravel (I was going to use 3/4") up to a foot from grade, is that going to alleviate the hydrostatic pressure at all? Where is all the water going to go? Since I only have access to a 15" section of outside wall, won't the water just find another entry point? Is there any danger of the cinder wall collapsing on me? Am I nuts?

So my thoughts wandered to just installing another sump pump inside. Will that help? Will the water necessarily find it's way to that pit?

Help!

do we have this right? you sometimes get water in basement along a 15' area that has a gas `n water line...block wall.

if so,your problem(s) will most likely be gaps/openings where lines enter the wall and/or crack(s) on outside of this 15' area. to stop/prevent further water from entering you`ll need to waterproof that 15' on outside.if you rather try something different thats your choice

15' would cost about $1,350-1,500 depends on depth to footing, take 1 day

did you look at any picture`s of cracks/openings around gas lines that have been posted?

you had/paid an enginneer to assess downspouts `n grade? and then engineer in part suggested outside sump? lol if the problems are openings on outside of wall where service lines enter and/or cracks/loose parging then hardly a need for a sump. if thats what someone wants, then go ahead, its their house. just saying what some will pay an engineer could have gone directly to fixing the problem/waterproofing that part of wall.

run a water/test outside, take a hose and run it along this 15' at ground level right against the wall. if you get water in/on floor then you should waterproof the outside of this area, its what will stop water from entering any cracks/loose parging/gaps where service lines enter wall, no need for any sump inside or out for these problems.

the water will go where it has always gone, except into/through your wall and onto floor.

if you wish to talk directly, email idiotwarehouse@hotmail.com w/ph number, i`ll call you

m