Lots `n Lots of myths/misinformation & even lies from various articles,contractors,builders,Hm improvement radio show hosts,city & home inspectors etc....if anyone really wants to start to understand why--how water gets into your basement & some foundations crack/bow buckle please read on but this will take quite a few different posts to try `n explain, so get yourself a pack of smokes/donut & coffee & try to open your mind and forget much of what you have read-heard, i only post to try `n help to inform the public/homeowners.All of the following posts are my personal opinions and i`m no lawyer but last time i checked we/i have the right to publicly criticize others and share fact based information and i`m sure there will be some who will criticize my azz
Look, when i got into this business a long time ago, i too could only rely on what was being told to me as the supposed truth-reasons why basements leak. While working for several diff. waterproofing co.`s & builders i assumed what they were explaining to me to be actual facts,but i must say most of it is/was all BS.
Most of these companies only cared about bs`ing homeowners into doing more work than needed to line their own pockets. And they also were using the Wrong method for basement waterproofing, i didnt know/understand this at that time...i was a rookie, didnt know any better & certainly wasnt going to second guess them,how could i at that time. I`ll get into more of what i mean but for instance...All of these companies would try `n bs homeowners into doing an Inside water diverting method(j-hammer/drain tile) all the way around basement,all 4 walls, incl`g a sump pump,when most of these homeowners Only had 1 crack on 1 wall which should have been fixed from the Outside..more later.
Other than having a leaking-dripping plumbing fixture in basement...there are 3 Main ways water gets into a basement..1) 70% of the time it IS because there are vertical,step,horizontal,diagonal cracks in the basement wall--and/or openings-crevices around where a gas,sprinkler,electric or other line enters a basement wall...2) 20%..there are direct openings Above Ground level on the outside of the house incl`g open mortar joints,cracked-porous-cheap bricks,caulking needs around doors & windows and where a central a/c hose enters the house and many more....3) about 10%, up through floor drains and-or cracks in the bsmt floor.
So...yes, most of the time..90% is due to cracks & other openings below ground through a basement wall or direct openings Above ground through & around windows,doors etc...these openings are..Outside! You need to go Outside to seal/fix these problems, they are why & how water/moisture enters which causes Mold-mildew,most efflorescence,discolorment of wall and is how Radon gas may enter. It is also how many of our insect friends enter the home, through direct openings Outside..we dont hold the door open for them do we?
Quite a few Hm insp`s will try & tell you that all you need to do to stop the leak/seepage is to raise the grade,extend downspout extension,fill a low spot and other crap, thats NOT why water is entering. Most likely there will be an opening(s), say a hollow block wall...it can have hairline to 1-2++ inch crack(s) on Outside and may NOT be at all visble on inside of basement wall.
Raise the grade huh? Ever have a roofing contractor tell you the reason your roof is leaking is because it has a poor slope? lol And has any roofer you know fixed a leaky roof on inside? No, of course not, on the Outside is where the opening(s) are allowing the water to ENTER, sure! How did the TITANIC sink? Was it due to the grade of the ocean? Of course NOT, openings on outside allow water inside, find them `n fix them Correctly!
ANY Inside method that many companies want to do...will Not & does not stop water/moisture from entering through these various outside openings. What an inside method does is....divert the water/moisture that is....Still entering through the wall, Under the floor! Again, it cannot stop water from entering...ya gotta go Outside to accomplish this! Since an inside method does not stop/prevent water from entering it also will not stop-prevent Mold,efflorescence or possibility of radon gas from entering,only an outside method will do this. Many of these inside co`s will also place-install a sheeting against the wall on the inside, know why? It is to hide-conceal what is most likely to occur to the wall...more mold growth,efflorescence and yes, even the further deterioration of a wall, movement/bowing & in some cases buckling inward.
Many walls crack,bow,buckle in due to...horizontal hydrostatic pressure that is on/against the OUTSIDE of basement walls. The expanding-contracting of soil puts tons of weight-pressure on the outside of a wall, tree roots can also crack a wall & put pressure agst a wall. So the only way to help relieve alot of that pressure is from the Outside..not inside.
An Outside method done correctly will stop water from entering so it also will prevent future mold/efflorescence/radon gas from entering, will lessen hydrostatic pressure agst the outside of the wall. An Inside method does not address any of these, again...it will keep water off your bsmt floor if done correctly,thats it.
....Tim, my builder did waterproof my foundation....well, believe it or not in MANY cases that is Not true...Para`s 5 & 6.. " To Permanently stop water and water vapor from entering your foundation walls, you need to Waterproof them......damproofing is an inexpensive way to meet the lowest minimum standard of the building code...."
If you get estimates, watch how many Inside-salespeople will try `n evade and/or flat out misinform/lie about that... most basement walls were already waterproofed and it didnt work then & won`t work now and so on...see what Tim here says again.. http://www.askthebuilder.com/015_Exterior_Foundation_Wall_Waterproofing.shtml 3rd para "Many, many consumers THINK they have waterproofed basements, when in fact they simply have been damproofed....it is by NO means a true waterproofing membrane"
An outside method done correctly is as follows...Hand-dig to footing,haul all clay-soil away,scrape `n wire brush the wall,seal all openings w/hydraulic cement,apply THICK Asphalt/Tar over wall,apply 6 mil visqueen over tar,and as important....Backfill w/100% peastone-gravel from footing all the way up to within 4-8"(up to 1 ft) of grade,fill remainder w/top soil.One more thing, i don`t claim to have every single solitary answer but i do have many!
scroll down a bit to ---A little crack can mean big problems.......
"Basement walls are subject to LATERAL Pressure from the WEIGHT of the SOIL piled against the EXTERIOR. MOISTURE in the soil INCREASES the weight acting upon the wall.If the SOIL becomes saturated, the weight of water creates hydrostatic pressure, which also acts upon the wall.
Failures occur when the forces CAUSED by the weight of the soil and/or water exceed the ability of a wall to resist the force......Improper construction, coupled with saturation of the SOIL is the MOST COMMON CAUSE of BASEMENT WALL FAILURES......"
Let`s see here, they say.. "Mold may begin growing indoors when mold spores land on surfaces that are wet"...thats interesting. Since most basement leak due to crack `n other Outside openings which allow water/moisture to enter and.....wet,dampen basement walls,drywall,paneling,carpet etc then, just how will any Inside drain tile or baseboard system stop/prevent the water from entering? lol, it can`t.
The guide also states.. "If there is mold growing in your home, you must clean up the mold AND fix the water problem...if you clean up the mold but don`t fix the water problem then, most likely,the mold problem will come back"
Building inspector overlooked code violations, who pays for his screw ups? You know who! Having a 'title' doesn`t mean crap, doesn`t mean that person has the expertise you think they have, doesn`t mean they care about YOU, some of these people are in bed with some builders too....click.. "watch 11pm Story"
City in Ohio, what does the Bldg Dept INFORM citizens about leaky-damp basements? Some 'GET IT' or most,some don`t, its THAT easy! scroll to -WET BASEMENTS in particular Q & A 1 and 5 .. Are sump pump systems allowed? What if problem is not related to surface grading and water is leaking through foundation? http://www.shakeronline.com/dept/building/FAQ.asp#top
Bowed wall, crack widening? Most SUCCESSFUL Repair method?
If an Inside method was what was best for a basement wall, if it was the best thing for the homeowner & future homeowner then i would have been doing this 25+ years ago!!! Know why? Because it is much easier,less labor intensive, less materials to use/to pay for(less costly),no risk of worrying about the ground caving in when working outside,working around gas lines etc,less cost on insurance and on & on. Yet...the companies who want to sell you this water-diverting method charge just as much and many times More than an outside method,how can this be! Many of you know what i`m talking about, you have had these inside water-diverting companies give you estimates ranging from $5,000 -- $20,000, and even more. Who ya think is making out here huh? exactly! They are not stopping water from entering through cracks & other Outside direct openings,not preventing mold/efflorescence,radon gas...are not lessening pressure agst the outside of the bsmt wall and are charging you as much or more for a method that costs alot less. Hello?
Let me post some links before getting into more bs...
this one is rather important to help homeowners understand what is the best backfill agst a bsmt wall to lessen pressure and to provide immediate drainage along the entire wall AND why its best to'hand-dig',Not to use heavy equipment near the outside of a house/wall, whenever possible.
"Even more important to keeping a basement DRY is the foundation backfill process. We FIRMLY believe a foundation should be backfilled with washed gravel (NOT dirt) from the basement floor-level all the way UP to within 2-3" of the finished grade. This does several things......is especially important, if not CRITICAL, with soils having high clay content.Secondly, this type of drainage prevents trapped water and saturated soil next to foundation from building up horizontal hydrostatic pressure against the wall!!! THIS Pressure will Crack walls, cause Leaks, and in a worse case, collapse the wall inward"
This next one will give you a look at how having peastone agst outside of walls could have helped peoples problems in Winnipeg due to lateral & hydrostatic pressure
then find 'Backfilling video' same page ...overall a pretty good look at things, Tar is applied too thin,imo, needs to be applied Thicker to last longer, hold up to underground conditions longer etc. They give one definition of Hydrostatic pressure when they say 'standing fluid' agaisnt wall, but hydrostatic pressure is also when the SOIL gets saturated w/water `n expands against Outside of wall.
Lateral `n hydrostatic pressure and roots from trees do indeed cause basement walls to Crack, Leak, bow `n possibly buckle/collapse inward. Backfilling all-most w/gravel is Very important. Many houses/walls are backfilled with clay or silty soils that were on-site which can then hold water,expand `n create lateral-hydrostatic pressure against basement walls. Peastone/gravel against entire depth of basement walls apply the LEAST pressure `n allows full & immediate drainage along all of wall. Carefully read yoder,b vila other links, see what THEY state about Soil pressure,best drainage etc....
Can YOU get water onto basement floor from a clogged/broken lateral line? YES! Scroll down to "Broken or Clogged Lateral Lines" and "Sewer Line Backups" ..... "If your lateral line is clogged/broken, water in the line has no where to go and can back up into your basement. Also, groundwater can seep INTO a lateral line through any cracks or separated joints, adding more water into the line and reducing its capacity.."
So, some will ONLY need to have good/honest plumber to snake through storm trap/cleanout. It`s just that quite a few INSIDE companies/salespeople will blllchtt YOU into a drain tile or baseboard system w/sump, this is bs. If they were so good/such experts and REALLY cared about YOU then they`d FIRST recommend you try `n snake through cleanout!!!
may need sump(S),may need to only snake, may need OTHER things! DEFINE the problem(s) First!
Dont assume! Have a finished basement? Have water coming onto floor where bottom of wall and floor meet? Wihtout seeing the bsmt wall-part of wall, nobody knows if there is a crack in wall, leaky rod holes, bowing wall, a crack that widening, maybe water is running down from the "TOP" of wall. To get-to the correct rememdy an expert will get-to the reason(s)-ways of where water is first entering. Don`t have these Inside Salespeople BS You into the ONLY method/system they do without visibly defining what the heck the real problem is!
MOLD (a smell may NOT be present for all molds)--Efflorescence--How Radon gas enters etc
RADON kills 21,000 every year, MORE than drunk drivers Read 3. Characteristics and Sources
Radon, how does it enter homes?
2nd para, "the Major points of radon entry are the cracks,joints and other penetrations. It is THESE openings in the Walls that allow soil-gas to enter the building"
How Radon enters your house... a) cracks in concrete slabs b) spaces behind brick veneer walls.... c) pores and cracks in concrete blocks d) floor-wall joints e) exposed soil, as in a sump f) weeping drain tile, if drained to open sump g) mortar joints h) loose fitting pipe penetrations i) open tops of block walls...etc...
INSIDE drain tile `n baseboard systems w/sumps do NOT seal Outside cracks-penetrations AND, if anything, allow easier access for Radon to enter due to drilling HOLES in hollow-block basement walls. Some Inside Co`s also leave bottom of cracks in poured walls OPEN and MOST will leave openings-Gaps along the cove, where the floor & wall meet, oh YES they do!
--Be aware of home radon and carbon monoxide levels-
...6th para under -Radon detectors- "Since many unscrupulous individuals have seen the chance for quick profits in the radon test field, be CAREFUL to select only a reputable contractor.....In MOST cases, the REMEDY is to seal your houses`s foundations(where radon can ENTER) and to install ventilators to allow any gas to escape. NOTE--- installing pipe in the basement floor will certainly help take/vent radon from UNDER the floor out BUT, it cannot possibly stop/prevent radon gas from entering THROUGH cracks/pores/openings in Basement Walls, not on this planet, no.
Hmmmm, and some tell you to poly-inject a crack in a poured wall? http://www.suredrybasements.com/sureDryCrackRepair.html Well, here is a company that admits "We have found over time the urethane shrinks and the crack leaks again" then continues on in article that they have all of a sudden "developed a breakthrough crack repair method which eliminates messy unreliable epoxy & urethane injections"...how is this possible if they havent actually tried it over TIME, i mean Years! c`mon...further settling or any lateral/hydrostatic pressre `n tree roots can & will push agst a wall and POP a crack open again,just a tiny-small re-opening anywhere along a vertical/diagonal crack will allow water to enter.If there is No future settling and say,sand was used for backfill when home was built `n no trees around then an injection will most likely hold up alot longer.
Here`s some more crap...this is 1 of the most believed Myths and redundantly repeated/reprinted 'what-ta-do`s' in waterproofing...many state "90% of all basement seepage problems can be fixed by merely raising the grade & sloping, and extending downspouts"....are you kidding me?
2nd Quest.."water seeps through a crack in block basement wall,whats the Best way to stop the leaking?"....Tommy says "This is an Easy-fix! Grading around the house is too flat or the gutter system is not working" Hahahhalololol.....yeah right! Un-be-lievable! Hey...fix the crack! No mention of this...why??? All they need to do is fix that 1 area where the crack is from outside...say 5' in linear footage along the wall & all the way down to footing. No need to do the entire wall like some waterproofing co`s will try to bs you into.
Then Mary adds "Be very cautious when dealing with the so-called waterproofing contractors...usually they are Wrong and the simple improvements Tom mentioned will work". Ok Mary, while i do agree w/you to be VERY careful with 'many' of these companies,Not all. Let me ask this fairly important question, just How many waterproofing jobs have these 2 ever done AND had to guarantee over a long time period....Huh? Probably none,zero,nada..c`mon. They are just repeating the same old crap,they dont really know,how could they? They have No hands on experience. Isnt it best for people to give honest information on matters they have experience and knowledge on? I certainly dont wander from this waterproofing-foundation subject,you`ll never hear me speak of electrical,carpentry etc because i have no hands on exp.`n knowledge,doesnt it make sense? so frustrating
3rd paragraph states"when water seepage occurs it is PREFERABLE to solve this problem from the...Inside, so that the costly process of excavating the exterior of foundation is avoided" Ugh!...this is the Wrong-Thought-Process folks,C`mon..its just another ploy and carefully worded product backed with Self-Interest to try & seduce YOU into buying it! When there is a seepage problem it is either due to outside openings in the bsmt wall, above the bsmt wall, or a clog/blockage under the dang floor.
Which leads to the 3rd way people will get water on their bsmt floor, and that is from cracks,other openings in the bsmt floor. When a homeowner does NOT have any water/moisture/mold etc on or near the walls but do have water coming up through cracks then the problem is....under the floor(i`m not talking about major floods due to a big time increase of water from hurricane etc). If a homeowner has water coming up through cracks or drain then they should FIRST find an honest-experienced plumber to snake through the drain(s) and-or through the 'Storm trap'...back under the floor when possible,towards rear of house, to free the blockage-problem-debris under the floor.
Many times this IS their problem and 'shouldnt be' talked/bs`d into an Inside method, i have a long list of homeowners who were taken on this one. IF snaking doesnt free the problem then the homeowner will need a sump pump(S) to control the water-level under the floor. Thats is a sump`s ONLY use, to control the water level under your floor on heavy rains/thaws before it can rise up--accumulate under the floor and come up through floor cracks/other openings in floor.
Anyone Notice that Inside systems need-install sump(s)? Often, j hammering the floor & the drain tile etc is NOT necessary. What some homeowners need is a sump(s), Not All. See, when one is truly honest and doesnt take jobs when the homeowners problem is the basement window etc,doesnt talk people into bigger jobs you can sometimes find yourself not as busy as you`d like and at times hurting to pay da-bills! Some have called me an idiot ,lousy businessman etc for NOT taking-talking people into jobs when i could still fix their bsmt window or tuckpointing problem AND charge them for x-amount of waterproofing even though they didnt need it, to stay a lil busier `n pay dem bills.If i was to bs just 10% of estimates i go on, we`d be booked 4-5 months in advance too.
I`m tired of all this NONSENSE from 'certain organizations and companies who are members of them' who claim `n state what great Ethics & Standards they have, Bllchtt! They can state it all they want but when i see/read `n listen to story after story of people who are living check to check and finally save up enough to have their leak/other hm improvement project done and get bs`d it Really pizzes me off I follow up on some of these companies `n while on one hand, they will tell you to call the BBB & check on `em, then when you do and the company has 10,20+ consumer complaints filed against them they`ll actually try & explain to you that " oh, its Not the amount of complaints,its the way the complaints were handled" and several others.
HEY ,If there is this lifetime guarantee and their system-method is the very best and was what the homeowner needed, then why the damm complaints? This is their great customer service? You`ve heard this shtt right? If there is a problem with water still entering,with further mold,radon or walls bowing/cracking why did the company WAIT so darn long, why did the homeowner have to wait `n eventually call the BBB or media to try and get da shtt straightened out? Huh?
And yes, a homeowner should have sump(s)and a drain tile system if their home was built where it probably shouldnt have been...like on a "spring"(very high water table area). There are a few other times when an inside method is necessary, imo....5-10%,and that is mostly when an outside method cannot be done because the outside of a wall is unaccessible due to a porch (not a driveway-not a patio). Could knock out the porch sure, but you`ll have to weigh the costs but even still with having the inside done along that area, water is still entering and may create mold etc,plus,the footing for the porch just may be the reason the wall is cracked/pushing in anyway, so as always, one has to first DEFINE how `n why `n where water is entering,and how `n why a wall is pushing/bowing in "BEFORE" they spend 1 penny.
Let me get back to raising/sloping grade--downspout extensions etc....look,doing things things correctly will divert'some surafce water' away from the foundation, several feet away,sure, and thats fine...do what ya can. But when someone raises and slopes the grade and extends downspouts 4-10' away water on heavier-longer rains & spring thaws is still going to go into the ground,yes a lil further away, but it will still accumulate in the ground and spread out--wick under all these diverting techniques, and spread in all directions underground incl`g back towards your bsmt wall,even under a driveway-patio. There is NO Underground Bias,below grade..the ground is not sloped.Rain will still drop from the sky and land on the ground,along your house.And if you have a crack(s) in a wall then it most likely is still going to enter,are you going to sell your home without fixing the problem...the crack? Please dont put on the disclosure statement that you'fixed' the seepage problem,the crack,by adding dirt or by extending downspouts.
This happens so often its unreal, and when i get calls from a homeowner who recently moved into house they just bought and they explain to me the above mentioned(crack fixed by adding dirt-mudjacking etc)i will go over there and show them and anyone why they are getting water in. I will recreate a heavy rain by running a hose at ground level, agst the top of the bsmt wall down and after say...1--10 minutes water will enter through the crack and into the basement & onto the floor. It is still leaking because there is a crack in the wall, Not because the grade is too low/not sloped...i just ran the hose-water ontop of the sellers water diverting idea of adding top soil or where they extended the downspout,or where they had a slab mudjacked etc.
If the water problem-entryway was only due to 'above ground'openings then raising the grade/extending downspouts wasnt gonna to solve the problem anyways.Again..First Define how `n why water is entering, then fix it correctly. Do Not assume, run a hose if you have to. Sometimes on hairline/thin cracks in a wall, you will have to run the water a bit longer but...the hairline crack is still how water is getting in.
With poured walls.....If your only problem-entryway are rod holes, then those you can indeed fix-seal correctly & forever from the inside, as long as you fully pack-seal each one of them. Problem here is the builder(laborers) either doesnt care,doesnt know, or both...that by simply putting a cork or 2 in each rod hole or a 'tad' of thin tar when house is being built just isnt going to last long. Usually they do this because code only require the rod holes sealed this way, but c`mon....its only going to take 1 more day to seal each rod hole correctly `n fully while house is being built. And the cost is didley, so why not do it right from the get-go,why leave the new homeowner with new drywall-paneling up in basement screwed, Now they will have to tear the drywall down in order to seal the rod holes.
And another thing w/some builders...when they backfill with tons `O crap like broken bricks,blocks,wood,cans,tree roots that is Not what ya want on the outside of your walls folks. Dont they make enough money to easily haul this crap away? And when they backfill they usually will backfill with whatever soil was on site with the use of heavy equipment. This often will cracks new walls...dont they know this,or is it cuz they dont give 2 craps? And its also about money, the faster they erect these homes,the better for them.
With new homes comes...Damproofing the basement walls,and its not much folks,like a coat of paint. Applying a very thin amount of tar on the outside of walls is basically nothing,why bother. Waterproof & backfill walls correctly(peastone) from the onset if your having a new home built.
Some of us have heard all too often from'The Masterhandyman' himself that outside contractors charge $200-300 a foot. I dont know where or from whom he came up with this figure, this simply is not true,least not from me/us. Cost per ft. on a basement that is 5 1/2-6' deep and needs 30 linear feet waterproofed,dug-selaed & backfilled correctly would cost $2,100-2,250 total..or $70-75 per ft and rising. With Haege`s figures it would be $6,000-9,000 !!! Thats a Huge difference and if were true i would own several homes in different states and own boats,bunch of cars etc and would have several different buildings with a fleet of trucks `n sales cars etc it`s a Big difference.
Sure, if your basement is 7--11' deep and 30 linear ft needed to be waterproofed then it would cost a bit more, aprrox. $80-110 per foot, or $2,400-3,300 total maybe a bit more,just depends on several things. When a basement does need waterproofing all the way around(doesnt happen often), say 110-120 linear feet X 6' deep, then it would be about $7,700-9,200. Which is a Ton more work than ANY inside method with much more in materials needed yet, is much in line and at times less than Any inside company is going to charge for a method that does not stop water,does not prevent mold-radon from entering and a method that does not in Any way lessen lateral & hydrostatic pressure that is against the Outside of basements walls.
--- UPDATE on costs, yeah, they have gone...Up,sorry.lolol, Materials etc go up then costs to do job goes up Gas has come done as elections near but the cost of materials haven`t, yet. Yeah, the one`s in office and in other controlling places wanna get re-elected Hey....what happened to all that CRAP a few months ago that, the reason gas went up was due to supply and demand, especially in China, BS!!!
At least 50% of our jobs(all the homeowner needs) are 6' to 30'. When a homeowner has 1 vertical/diagonal/step/corner crack then thats all they need to do-fix. There is no reason to waterproof 1,2+ walls when a homeowner is only leaking in 1 area. Although there are quite a few companies who will try `n tell ya that you can get water in the basement on the back wall from a problem on the side-front wall,lolol, that is just a ploy to add more footage/work to add more cost to the job! So ya know, if all you need is 1 crack fixed there is No price per ft. It does cost x-amount to do smaller jobs so to waterprooof a 6' section would usually cost $775--825, always depends on depth,type of soil,a tree 2-3' feet away from where crack is-where job will be dug etc.
There are some/few homeowners who may have 1-hairline crack and almost never leak,maybe 1-2 times a year on heavy rains. More than likely that is because the crack is....hairline/thin and/or they may have sand that was backfilled agst the outside walls. Sand is pretty good drainage to have on the outside so rainwater will drain through it fairly quick unlike other soils, especially clay types. We always backfill w/peastone because of its immediate drainage along the outside of the wall & because there is less settling than sand & a ton less settling than any other soil.
This homeowner states" They`d(Everdry) call everyday and would break things or need advise." Is this who you want to trust with your foundation? http://www.wane.com/Global/story.asp?S=3027141
The Master-man himself may or may not be great on his 'other' recommendations on other matters, i cant answer that,but he is out in right field on the subject of bsmt waterproofing. Here he is,and you can buy his'how to fix fast & easy' books for $19.95
Couple more things about trying to divert every drop of water away from your house-foundation. Myself `n others have found the best thing for the soil agst a basement wall is to keep the amount of moisture-water at about the same level-amount as best you can...not too wet,not too dry. In prolong dry periods clay soils & others can contract alot and cause walls to crack,porches to pull away,drive slabs to dip/pull away etc, just like when the ground/soil is too wet but not much one can do when it rains for 3 straight days. Thats why its best to have good drainage along the outside of your basement walls, from ground level to footing.
And if your going to raise-slope the grade along a wall how come not many if any of these so-called experts dont explain to homeowners that on brick-block homes they should seal(tar-cement) the bricks-blocks & all mortar joints where they will be adding the top soil/dirt up against the house. You can actually create a problem-leak-mold-efflorescence `n even see moss growing on the bricks etc if you do not seal `em first.
And go ahead and extend those downspout extensions 50-100' away, into the street or yer neighbor`s yard. Lolol, i`m sure they`ll be happy to deal with the extra water. Your not diverting all the rainwater away from the entire foundation, sure...your taking some of the water coming off the roof away and thats fine, but again, if you have a crack in the corner of your block wall....then you have a crack in the corner...fix the Crack! Some moisture will still enter the crack & cause mold-efflorescence and worsen over time,but yes, a few of you might keep most of the water away for....awhile. Some folks wonder why they get water in the garage or the wood at the base of the garage begins to rot-fall apart after they raised the grade,c`mon folks.
Block walls...can have a hairline to 2" crack on the OUTSIDE of the wall-house, and on the inside the wall will look fine, no visible crack! Not with a poured wall...a block wall. So dont think-assume there isnt any problem on the Outside of the wall cuz most of the time there is! Water enters the cells,the cavities of block walls through cracks on the...outside. A block wall can have mold'inside' the cells of the block wall and may not yet be visible on the inner face visble in basement. But more times than not some mold-mildew-efflorescence will be visible on the inside of basement.
For those of you who have finished basements, you wont always know what exactly might be growing behind the drywall-paneling, dont forget...a smell may Not be present for all molds or radon gas. Some people buy a home where basement is already finished....just how do they really know what shape the bsmt walls are in? Is it cracked,bowing in?
Another thing many of these inside-only-companies will bs you about...if you have just 1 problem area they will tell you that by fixing just that 1 area the...water will simply find another way in and that it just another reason to have them do an inside method all the way around,all 4 walls...BS! The reason at that point in time the basement is leaking in 1 area is because it has...just the 1 crack/opening to allow water in. If there was another crack/problem you would be leaking in another area. Fix the crack,stop the water,stop-prevent mold-radon gas etc....thats the truth.
Now, sometime in the future a crack could occur in another area,another part of wall...sure. Just like with any house that can/might happen, and might not happen but until then...fix whats broke....period.
Most walls crack,bow etc either from around the time the home was first built due to poor backfilling techniques:heavy equipment pushing in tons of soil agst new walls,some which are not even braced,poor soil compaction on house-site,insufficient footings(short cuts on depth-thickness)no vertical reinforcing bars used in walls and other times due to lateral/hydrostatic pressure `n tree roots against the outside of the walls. Again if foundation walls were built & backfilled correctly from start there would be alot less problems.
More info about building walls `n proper backfilling(although imo this guy doesnt get the whole picture either,he gets more than Haege/inspectors etc)
Drain tiles--i hear some say that the newer plastic perforated D. tile isbetter-stronger and/or lasts longer than the older clay tiles and, they are misinformed. Around 90-95% of all the jobs we have done, the tiles were in great shape,like brand new,why replace something that has shown it holds up over time,holds up to underground conditions & weight with plastic? I`m talking about homes built in 1920-now. Those clay tiles are 3-4 times Thicker than the plastic and have shown us for 25+ years they last `n hold up longer than any plastic tile, they have proved that over time!. Plastic tile come around in the `70s and is much lighter,much thinner than the clay tiles. Thing is, Both can become clogged with debris-roots when used for any underground purpose but please dont tell me the plastic is stronger-lasts longer than the clay tiles.
Posts: 710 | Location: Michigan | Registered: 24 August 2005
Got a leak/water coming out of your chimney chute door? A leak in this area will often be from a)there are cracks-holes in the outside chimney walls...below ground And--Or b)there are 1 or more of the following open ABOVE ground level in & around the chimney...open mortar joints/loose,porous bricks/flashing needs to be tarred-sealed/the chimney crown-cap has numerous defects-openings/flue liner etc.
Again, to find out which is the problem(below and-or above ground,or both) run the water test. On a dry day run a hose full blast at ground level towards the chimney walls(dont get the bricks wet above ground)...run the water for up to an hour-or until you begin to see water coming out in basement. If it leaks then you have an opening(s)in 1 or all of the chimney walls below ground and will it waterproofed correctly. If you dont leak the opening(s)-problem will be above ground. And yes...its possible `n occurs quite often to have both. http://www.askthebuilder.com/495_Cracks_in_a_New_Chimney.shtml
Just how is this lovely green stuff going to stop water from entering through a crack? It isnt...but as always,go ahead `n try if you like, its your house,time & money.One thing is certain,you will have a freaky looking basement & the kids will prolly love it. All ya need is a strobe light.
Or maybe you`d like to spend your money on this one, states-claims 2nd & 4th paragraphs "DRYLOK will stop water from penetrating the inside of basement walls even during the most torrential downpours outside" and "Water may be coming from a variety of sources such as leaky downspouts or gutters,blocked drainage pipes,improper grading...correcting these problems combined with the application of a quality waterproofing paint is the 'best' way to prevent masonry surfaces from leaking". Hmmmm, ok...anytime someone with a crack in the basement wall wants to first use this-any product(paint the wall 10 times just for a goof,lets see)...then let me come over & run a hose-water agst the outside of the crack to recreate a torrential downpour,lets see who is right 99-100% of the time.
There are some who dont consider mold-radon to be that big of deal...as long as it doesnt happen to them/someone they know..there are many stories like this one....and NO Inside Method (j-hammer/drain tile etc) will stop water/mold/radon from entering.In this story, many mistakes/assumptions were made.
ok, here is a partial list of Inside waterproofers/Systems, many of whom, supposedly, have lifetime-guarantees....for You!
well, if they sold you what you needed then why so many complaints? if there was some minor problem why didn`t they come back `n fix it correctly? Maybe, what they bs`d you into wasn`t what you needed in the first place huh
as mentioned, a partial list of Inside co`s who, apparently have more than a handful of BBB Complaints...just in the last 36 months...think folks. This is NOT for sales or promotional purposes, only to help inform homeowners, any harm in that? Remember, last 36 months & i`ll leave Michigan out of it
13 complaints last 36 months Basement Systems-Floodbusters White Marsh,MD
25 complaints last 36 months Boston Basement Technologies Brockton,MA
10 complaints last 36 mths J & D Basement Systems Reynoldsburg,OH
53 complaints last 36 mths Everdry Columbus,OH
14 complaints last 36 mths Everdry Toledo,OH
17 complaints last 36 mths Everdry Fairfield,OH
9 complaints last 36 mths Everdry Mansfield,OH
9 complaints last 36 mths B Dry Akron,OH
12 complaints last 36 mths B Dry Baltimore,MD
9 complaints last 36 mths B Dry Delaware County PA
out of business B Dry Tri State Rockford,ILL ph numb disc/mail ret`d
out of business Grip Tite Wall Anchor Rockford,ILL
71 complaints last 36 mths Basement Doctor Waterproofing Trevose,PA
41 complaints last 36 mths Mid Atlantic Wat`g South Plainfield,NJ
72 complaints last 36 mths Mid Atlantic Wat`g Laurel,MD
27 complaints last 36 mths Mid Atlantic Wat`g York,PA
33 complaints last 36 mths Mid Atlantic Wat`g Boothwyn,PA
12 complaints last 36 mths Mid Atlantic Wat`g Fredericksburg,VA
9 complaints last 36 mths Atlantis Wat`g Hagerstown,MD
32 complaints last 36 mths C & M Wat`g aka Everdry St Louis,MO
20 complaints last 36 mths The Crack Team StLouis,MO
18 complaints last 36 mths Advanced Foundation Repair Dallas,TX
13 complaints last 36 mths U S Waterproofing Schaumburg,ILL
7 complaints last 36 mths Global Wat`g Schaumburg,ILL
19 complaints last 36 mths Everdry Waukesha,WI
21 complaints last 36 mths Everdry Rochester,NY
50 complaints last 36 mths Everdry Fort Wayne,IN
16 complaints last 36 mths Everdry of Michiana South Bend,IN
13 complaints last 36 mths Everdry Indianapolis,IN
out of biz Everdry Bensenville,ILL
out of biz Allstate Wat`g Lexington, KY
out of biz Aatlanta Area Basement Wat`g GA
out of biz Sta-dri Basement Dewatering Greensboro,NC
23 complaints last 36 mths Seacoast Wat`g Pawtuckett,RI
13 complaints last 36 mths Value Dry Basement Technologies King of Prussia,PA
43 complaints last 36 mths Everdry Cranberry Twp, PA
17 complaints last 36 mths Ohio State Wat`g Macedonia,OH
16 complaints last 36 mths Champion Wat`g Jeanette,PA
10 complaints last 36 mths A Better Choice Wat`g N Huntingdon,PA
17 complaints last 36 mths Vulcan Wat`g Rivergrove,ILL
13 complaints last 36 mths Vulcan Wat`g Fenton,MO
12 complaints last 36 mths Vulcan Basement Wat`g Philadeplphia,PA
10 complaints last 36 mths Vulcan Wat`g Flushing,NY
out of biz Vulcan Wat`g Butler,WI
out of biz Alternative Basement Wat`g Louisville,KY
10 complaints last 36 mths All Dry Fairfield,OH
11 complaints last 36 mths All Dry Campbellsville,KY
out of biz All Dry of Virginia
out of biz All Dry Wat`g Fort Wayne,IN
out of biz All Dry Tri State Systems Evansville,IN
9 complaints last 36 mths K C Wat`g Kansas City,MO
9 complaints last 36 mths Olshan Foun Repair Longview,TX
...click ABC 12 Video
Read 3. Characteristics and Sources
,lousy businessman etc for NOT taking-talking people into jobs when i could still fix their bsmt window or tuckpointing problem AND charge them for x-amount of waterproofing even though they didnt need it, to stay a lil busier `n pay dem bills.If i was to bs just 10% of estimates i go on, we`d be booked 4-5 months in advance too.
,If there is this lifetime guarantee and their system-method is the very best and was what the homeowner needed, then why the damm complaints? This is their great customer service? You`ve heard this shtt right? If there is a problem with water still entering,with further mold,radon or walls bowing/cracking why did the company WAIT so darn long, why did the homeowner have to wait `n eventually call the BBB or media to try and get da shtt straightened out? Huh?