Hi everyone. I'm looking for some help on how to find a leak in the basement. My friend owns a house and there is a big water problem in the basement. I know it is coming from outside but we can't do the hose test. There is no way to connect a garden hose at the house - believe me we tried when we went to power wash it. There is no spiket outside/inside and we can't connect one to any of the inside faucets. Is there another way to test for it? Or do we just have to a have a digging party? Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

ask neighbor to use theirs, pay em few bucks.
if your hose isn`t long enough buy one

better to spend a few bucks now and define
problem/location(s) versus believing many
of these inside salespeople bs explanations

example- Lady named Grace who lives just outside Detroit has ONE leaky area, yep, just one. She calls couple companies for estimates, one is Everdry. Everdry sends 2(two) salespeople over, they go in basement and tell her she has high water table under floor and also, possibly, clogged outside tiles.

While still in basement they tell her it`ll cost a lil over $17,000 to fix BUT, if she signs NOW, they`ll give her special price $15,000.

She has enough smart to figures, hey...i only have one leaky area, why are they trying to talk me into full inside perimeter system with sump and dehumidifier and, is NOT in a BIG hurry like OTHER homeowners are.

Another company goes over, says pretty much same shtt at cost of %6,500, then she calls me.

She explains this one area, its under a bsmt window and there is paneling on wall under window. I tell her i don`t wanna get her hopes up but sounds like problem/openings in-around bsmt window or just below window-sill or above it.She said she ssees some water stains mid-head high on paneling

Told her i`d come out to do water test to show/prove where water FIRST enters for free.

She says no one told her problem could be bsmt window etc, going over there in few days to
DEFINE problem w/hose.

Still could be a 2 part problem, may be a leaky rod hole behind paneling and or a crack AND, problem w/bsmt window. Worse case scenario if crack $800-950 depends on depth to footing.

Thats FAR cry from 6,500 and $15,000-1700 thousand. And SOME wonder WHY i get pizz`d when posting, use 4 letter words lolol.

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

It wouldn't cost all that much to have a plumber put in a hose bibb for you...probably not much more than enough hose to run from a neighbor's house.

Thanks guys. I will forward this to my friend and we will see what we can do. I hope it is something simple. My friend has a rough year.
LWP - I can understand why you get so mad when you see people get ripped off - I hate it too!

Thanks again!

Do you have a washing machine? got two hose bibs there. Also what about the drain on the hot water heater. Just turn it off and use the hot water up.

There isn't a washing machine and no hot water tank because its a gas furnace system. I think mother nature helped us out. We are on Long Island and so we got very heavy rain the other day. I went over to the house and took a look and think I found the walls with problems. It ***** though because the black top is along one side of the problem walls. Bummer.

Thanks for all your help guys! I'll let my friend know your advice.

LW waterproofs all the time when there is blacktop along the wall. I think all he does is remove about 18 inches of it, digs down, does his work, and then patches the 18-inch strip. Not as big a deal as it seems.