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| My Foundation Is Leaking After A Big Melt | |
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| Topic Started: Dec 28 2016, 07:22 AM (1,619 Views) | |
| wildie | Jan 11 2017, 04:26 PM Post #91 |
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As I stated previously, mold will grow anywhere that has dampness. I understand that mold spores are floating around every-where and will land anywhere to reproduce. Thats why I believe you would be wise to get a professional opinion. The time that I had a basement water problem, excavating and water-proofing did the trick. A hundred years ago, water-proofing the outside of a foundation was unknown. Even still, my first house which was built in 1964 was water-proofed, but leaked anyhow! I you should decide to excavate, I would recommend that you would apply the water-proofing yourself, then you will know that it was done properly. The wall surface must be perfectly clean and any surface perforations closed with hydraulic cement. (hydraulic cement is readily available at Home Depot) |
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| Trotsky | Jan 12 2017, 04:52 AM Post #92 |
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Big City Boy
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Perhaps this will help. Funny that all the HGTV stick built Canadian homes are BLUE. http://www.conradfp.com/building-products-bluwood.php |
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| Calm | Jan 12 2017, 11:20 AM Post #93 |
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Small Star Member
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Hi! Trotsky Oh! That BluWood seems interesting. Thanks. Okay ..... so the expert arrived and stayed 2 hours. I gotta thank all you folks here who chipped in their 2 cents, of advice, because the "Expert" knew that I must of done some investigations. From what I figure, It is gonna cost me about 15 thousand for "French Drains" (112 linear feet) which a few people here discussed within this thread. It means destroying a lot of interior ..... Foundation - Basement - Size: 30' Long And 26' Wide. After I completed the concrete drains along the inside perimeter of the basement, I could not really ever hope to sell the house with all the drywall having been cut perhaps 2 feet or so above the raised floor. So, to put the basement back into a "Livable" area, and thus repair all the wall cuts, and replace all the 2x4's with something less permeable to water, and a new flooring material .... It would cost me another 30 thousand, at least. If I was going to spend 50 thousand, I would create a complete separate rental apartment, and thus get some type of return on my money or for spending 50 thousand. Toilet, kitchen and whatever. Probably even dig the basement deeper. The new apartment might rent for 400 per month plus utilities. So, I need time to make the decision. One thing for sure (right today) is that I am ordering a new sump pump with a backup battery in case the power goes out. An overflowing sump pump would cause huge damage to the house. I can't take that chance. The "Well" of the Sump Pump seems to large enough because it has never overflowed once. I will place 6 or 8 Humidity alarms on the floor and only in low lying areas, to give me a heads up. Then, I am going to have 4 small pumps ready to distribute throughout the basement. If water enters the basement quicker then 4 pumps can discharge out the window, then I am toast. I think there are only 2 particular points along the foundation walls which leak a bit when huge rains or huge snow melt. But, I think I can go this route until a I get a bigger picture as to how often water leakage happens. If only once a year, I can handle it. In a year, I will have a better idea. So, I am beginning to wait my year starting right today.... What do you think of that idea? Calm Edited by Calm, Jan 12 2017, 11:45 AM.
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| wildie | Jan 12 2017, 11:43 AM Post #94 |
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If BlueWood can be sawn, I wonder how the the cut surface would be protected? |
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| wildie | Jan 12 2017, 12:05 PM Post #95 |
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Re your post #93, the cost is way too much, the outlay could never be recovered. I stand by my original suggestion to look into an outside excavation and doing a proper sealing outside. Forget all the do-dads! If you ever decided to sell, all those 'toys' would scare off any prospective buyers. Keep in mind the KISS PRINCIPAL! (keep it simple s......) Be your own contractor, hire some local help to dig out the foundation, and clean the wall surface. Give the help a brush and have them apply the sealer. While the excavation is open, check out your weeping tile. Then backfill the hole. I think that $1000 would cover the cost of the diggers wages and maybe $300 for incidentals. Edited by wildie, Jan 12 2017, 12:07 PM.
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| Calm | Jan 12 2017, 12:31 PM Post #96 |
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Small Star Member
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Hi! Wildie I can appreciate what you are saying ..... But this expert who was here this morning (and another expert just left my house 10 minutes ago). To dig a ditch around my foundation from outside would damage my front step setup and my rock garden set up and there is an extension built next to the rear wall. When digging a ditch, does the ditch not have to be sort of walled and supported? Does that not mean a minimum 3' wide hole around my house? Now the second expert (who just left my house moments ago) ..... he claims that leaking basements is not unusual in this area. Especially after such a weather event of snow melt combined with rain. More than 140 mm of rain fell within a 24-hour period. My house is built on clay and not sand. I think what happens is a hydrostatic pressure event. http://www.basementsystems.com/basement-waterproofing/basement-learning-center/basic-construction/hydrostatic-pressure.html That under normal weather patterns, everything is okay. The weeping tiles and the sump pump do exactly as what they are prescribed to do. But the ground became too moist and actually moved the soil beneath my basement floor, causing it to heave slightly. It seems to me that the weeping tiles already in place must be working quite well and operating at their capacity, because had any more water drained into my sump pump well, it would of over flowed the well. In a sense, thank God, the weeping tiles were not pushing more water into the well. The 1/4hp electric sump pump was running almost constantly and was keeping up, but it was pretty tense. But no actual overflow from the well onto the basement floor. Seems to me that this kind of event might not happen again for another 5 years. It was a very very unusual weather event. However; when business is open tomorrow morning, I am getting a back up sump pump installed. No matter what. (That is only 500 bucks.) The expert who was here about half hour ago, he claimed that I should not purchase a battery operated sump pump. He stated that I should get a sump pump operated by water because water hardly ever goes out like hydro does. He says he can do that for 500 bucks. And then my "Power Failure" worry is gone. That is the minimum that I am going to do within a week. And then for the next year I am going to watch and see what happens. Calm Edited by Calm, Jan 12 2017, 12:41 PM.
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| Calm | Jan 13 2017, 03:51 AM Post #97 |
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Hi! Wildie I have no intention at all on doing any part of this work myself. I am physically incapable of it. I would not live through the ordeal. I also know or feel that if the Expert estimates the cost to be 15 thousand, I can easily find an alternative licenced apprentice for 25 percent less at least. I am not too worried about money. I will probably live only another 10 years, maybe 15 years max. I worry about dumping a house on somebody in my Last Will and Testament, and who will find it a burden to deal with. I just want to retain the value of the house. I spent about 15 thousand doing little decorative/yard improvements just to have the house more attractive or more easier/quicker sale if need be. Not so much an increase in house value. The ability for somebody after my death to be able to sell the house for exactly what I paid for it and without any long waiting time. The 15 thousand I spent thus far on "Eye Candy" (large back deck and gazebo) was just an insurance policy towards retaining the house value at what I purchased it for. http://www.pair-annoyed.com:9090/NEWS/PatioDeck-Gazebo.jpg And a privacy fence .... http://www.pair-annoyed.com:9090/NEWS/House-After-GarageFence.jpg I am not an outdoors person at all. I might of used the Bar-B-Q 3 times last summer. I am even thinking about erecting a playground in the huge yard I have because any possible home buyers who might come to view the house will imagine seeing their own kids in the swing. I already got the baked apples ready to be placed into the kitchen range oven just to get the pleasant smell of baked apples into the house before the prospective buyers arrive. Obviously, my story will change if I find out that the basement needs to be done and needs an investment of thousands. Right now, I am just gonna watch every rainfall very closely and see how my basement makes out. I think I need a year to arrive at an "Educated" decision. Calm Edited by Calm, Jan 13 2017, 04:23 AM.
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| Dialtone | Jan 13 2017, 04:25 AM Post #98 |
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Nice eye candy Calm, a definite improvement ! |
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| Calm | Jan 13 2017, 08:42 AM Post #99 |
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Hi! DialTone On the day I first looked at this house, and walked out from the house onto the back deck area, I felt that I had to do a "Karaoke" ..... I felt like I had sort of stepped out onto a stage. It was the balcony from the 2 story apartment complex next door which was giving me a feeling of Stage Fright. http://www.pair-annoyed.com:9090/NEWS/House-Before-GarageFemce.jpg I had to screw zillion nails in 90 degree heat to find my way off the stage. I know what a 45 degree angle is now because I cut so many. I feel quite comfortable now. I only see my shadow now. http://www.pair-annoyed.com:9090/NEWS/House-After-GarageFence.jpg Calm Edited by Calm, Jan 13 2017, 08:46 AM.
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| wildie | Jan 13 2017, 02:15 PM Post #100 |
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I'm mystified as to where the water under the slab came from? If the tiles were working, I would think that the water would be drained away. I also wonder if gravel was placed under the slab? If its pure clay under there, and it gets wet, it will expand enough to raise the slab. I would suggest that you would drill a hole through the slab and see if water comes out. Be ready to plug the hole in case you have water squirting out. If there is water under there I would install another sump pit in an area where you think the water is. Maybe your house was built on a spring? |
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| Calm | Jan 14 2017, 12:56 AM Post #101 |
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Small Star Member
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This is the company "Expert" who gave me the quote yesterday. http://www.advancedbasementsystems.net/about-us.html The guy was pretty good at giving the presentation. I was happy with the explanations he gave as to exactly what was happening in my basement. I found this bit of text today .... "Finally, know this truth. You may not like it, but it is true. There is no such thing as a basement that won't get water! Some will flood and some will get minor seepage, but EVERY basement will get water. No matter how well built or "water proofed" or how large a sump pump and / or flood control system you install, ALL basements will get wet. Maybe not today or next week, but at some time in the house's life, it will get water. So, the point is not to spend all your time and money trying to put off the inevitable, it is to be smart and arrange your basement so that when the water does come in, it will do little or no damage. Don't put anything that you don't want to get wet in your basement. When you store stuff down there, put it up on shelves or skids, NOT on the floor. Don't finish the basement with expensive furniture and carpeting and, especially not, hardwood flooring (really! Some people actually do this!). Be smart." http://www.deckerhomeservices.com/basement_flooding.htm I don't know how anybody could live in a house without having a back-up sump pump. It is like having a lit candle in your basement. That, to me, is a priority. I am solving that problem today. I just can't imagine myself running a wet/dry vacuum for 6 hours again. It is very strenuous work with having to keep the suction cone of the vacuum hose moving around the small puddles of water. I am on the verge of purchasing 4 of these pumps to have them available if my basement begins to leak again. I intend to place 4 of these pumps directly onto the basement concrete floor, and where puddles of water initially accumulate. To prevent migration of water into the raised floor area. I think these pumps are "Over-Kill" for what I need. And, I only have 3 areas of the foundation/floor which has some water seepage. When I was vacuuming, I never let the water get any deeper than a 1/4 inch or less. The water was not "Streaming" into my basement. I was able to keep up to the leakage without too much sweat. It was just the constant motion of moving the vacuum hose around to different puddles which had me sweating. The vacuum was probably sucking up about 2-3 gallons per 10-15 minutes. I think that these pumps are more than ample for what I need. During a weather event, or at the first sign of water seepage, I turn these pumps on and they check every 2 minutes to see of there is water to pump from the small dip in the concrete floor where the water tends to accumulate, and where the pumps have been deliberately placed. Simer Smart Geyser 1/4 HP Submersible Utility Pump $229.00 each 9935833S http://www.simerpumps.com/ResidentialProduct_sm_ut_wr_2330.aspx Calm Edited by Calm, Jan 14 2017, 02:13 AM.
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| Trotsky | Jan 14 2017, 02:31 AM Post #102 |
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Big City Boy
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Being sure to use a lot of coarse gravel on the bottom. Calm: Re you plan to rent out a "basement" apartment. Make sure you check out local ordinances and get zoning approval for apartment legality BEFORE you spend any money. In my neighborhood, any dwelling more than half below grade is considered a "cellar" and is not legally habitable. PERIOD. Basements (mostly above grade) are held to high standards re 2 egress, etc. Here's what I would try in your shoes: I would use some quick curing patching concrete/cement/ cement-epoxy on the inside wall at the worst leaks and let the sumps gathere what they can. If you can keep out half the flow on the worst floody days, you might be fine. https://www.google.com/search?q=pressure+concrete&rls=com.microsoft:en-US:IE-Address&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&sourceid=ie7&rlz=1I7ADRA_enUS520&gws_rd=ssl#q=patching+concrete&tbm=shop Consider that basement a money pit and don't dump good money after bad. If it hasn't been covered before, a low to medium expense could be gotten with a perimeter valley dug inside to perhaps an inch or two culminating at a sump pump at the low point. Treat your inner wall with some paintable fungicide (that won't poison you.) http://www.homedepot.com/p/Mold-Armor-1-gal-Disinfectant-and-Fungicide-GOM30101/203776620Make sure you have some good ventilation in the basement...exhaust fan. Don't plan for the afterlife. If you have decided on the heir to the imperial basement, tell him so and give him free rein to make whatever repairs he wishes at his expense, or none. My sister put a whole new sewer line from family house to street, not cheap. We sold the home for a song a year later. The new sewer added nothing to the sales price but it sure was a waste of money. Edited by Trotsky, Jan 14 2017, 02:35 AM.
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| Calm | Jan 14 2017, 03:59 AM Post #103 |
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Small Star Member
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It seems that I have been researching the wrong type of small pumps to suck the water puddles off the floor rather than using a vacuum cleaner. The term I should of used was "Puddle Pumps" They are hugely popular in Europe because basements there are 200 years old and not only 40 years old like my house is. http://maxflopump.com/pump_product.asp?index=39501 And they are less than half the price each of other types of pumps. Calm Edited by Calm, Jan 14 2017, 04:02 AM.
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| Dialtone | Jan 14 2017, 04:28 AM Post #104 |
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Gold Star Member
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Good info, and I think it all depends on where you live. In our area of the prairies, we don't get a lot of snow or water, but occasional downpours during the summer. Our city bylaws insist all houses built in the past 20 yrs of so have a sump pump, I replaced the pump on spec last year since Costco had a sale of Burcam 1/3 HP units so I have my old one as a backup spare if the new one quits. I also bought a 25' 1.5" discharge hose to run it out a window or down the city drain if necessary. My basement is completely finished with carpet on the floor, no water has come in, but the neighbours a couple houses down weren't so lucky, their pump failed. All in keeping your pump tested, your pit clean, how you prepare your lot slope and outside downspouts around here. Edited by Dialtone, Jan 14 2017, 04:34 AM.
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| wildie | Jan 14 2017, 05:57 AM Post #105 |
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Veteran Member
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In the house where I had a similar problem such as yours, I tackled the problem successfully by water-proofing the outside walls just where there was a problem. I wouldn't try to 2nd guess your expert due to his experience and his physical presence. At the end of the day, I'm sitting a hundred miles from your place and to make an evaluation from here is very difficult. I was astounded by your first experts estimation and was amazed at his prices. To the extent, that it appeared to me that he was a con man! |
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