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I've got a 1974 house with a poured concrete foundation. The basement is partially finished, and a bathroom was put in about halfway along the back side of the house.
I've owned the house about 10 years. During that time we've had some occasional water appearing on the bathroom floor. I've determined this has been a result of three problems. My laundry exhaust has a tendency to clog, and we've had to run a snake down it many times, and had a pro out to do it a couple of times. But that isn't the question. We've had the toilet water supply leaking, and I thought that was the primary source of the problem for a long time. That was manageable.
But sometimes we got water anyway. As it seemed to be associated with heavy rainfall (but not always), I've ended up stripping out everything in the bathrooms, to the studs and foundation.
Come to find there is a hairline crack in the foundation, top to bottom, from a window casement, to nearly the bottom of the foundation. And, based on the stains, it leaks. I think not great amounts, but enough so that a couple of feet of the framing lumber was completely lost to rot and black mold. But that rot doesn't extend very far, so the leakage was very limited, very small.
Now I want to close everything back up, and get the bathroom back to working! From looking at this, and talking to people, at the moment I'm thinking my only solution is to dig out the outside of the foundation and seal the crack there.
Has anybody got any thoughts about an easier method? Or other considerations?
Yes, the best rule of thumb is to stop the leak from the source (outside) side.
There is one other possibility- epoxy. I have been involved in a few foundation repairs that were also leaking that were repaired with epoxy injections. This is NOT a DIY fix. The epoxy injections require very precise methodology. Foundation repair companies are very familiar with this repair.
Yes, the best rule of thumb is to stop the leak from the source (outside) side.
There is one other possibility- epoxy. I have been involved in a few foundation repairs that were also leaking that were repaired with epoxy injections. This is NOT a DIY fix. The epoxy injections require very precise methodology. Foundation repair companies are very familiar with this repair.
Thanks. This has got to be DIY, as I am on a limited income. I've asked around, and actually found a couple of teenagers who might be willing and strong enough to dig out a hole at that point of the foundation. If we can get that, I'm thinking I can put some mortar on the exterior, then the same on the interior. That should be good enough, and I'll put the bathroom back together. Since the wood that rotted was not load-bearing, I can replace it with plastic boards, and use some urethane foam to guide any further leakage into the bath drainpipe hole in the pad. I'm replacing the sheetrock with hardiboard, as well. At least, for the first 4 feet.
Hire an architect to consultant for you. Because anyone else you go to, is just going to sell you their services even if you don't need them. There are many water proofing companies and some will sell you a solution that you don't need and they can be very expensive.
If you start with a architect he or she will get to the root cause of the problem and recommend experts that might be needed. After that, then you can make choices on how to proceed to have it fixed. But don't start with the companies that do the work, because they will tell you not to involve any real experts and that they can handle everything. Some of their sales people are real slick too. Find an architect that has extensive experience in residential for remodeling and fixing these times of problems. Hope this helps!
A REPUTABLE waterproofing company will give you options with a bid. We had a french drain installed in our 1920s basenent complete with a new sump pit dug to todays standards. SO HAPPY with the work they did. No more standing water stench, etc. i highly recommend getting professional input vs asking teens to “fix” the problem...likely not fixed. Consultations are free. At least you will be aware of what needs to been done. Th3 costs...and oerhayps a payment plan. Does not hurt to ask.
A REPUTABLE waterproofing company will give you options with a bid. We had a french drain installed in our 1920s basenent complete with a new sump pit dug to todays standards. SO HAPPY with the work they did. No more standing water stench, etc. i highly recommend getting professional input vs asking teens to “fix” the problem...likely not fixed. Consultations are free. At least you will be aware of what needs to been done. Th3 costs...and oerhayps a payment plan. Does not hurt to ask.
This ^^^
Having a couple kids dig out the foundation, and then schmearing the crack with mortar is going to do noting. The water will blow that "patch" apart quickly.
Get a pro company in to evaluate. They MIGHT be able to inject it from the inside and that might be enough. Alternatively, they will dig it out, inject and patch with proper materials. If money is an issue, work out a plan with them. Get it fixed properly before you start inside construction or you will regret the day you saved pennies in order to spend dollars....and bang your head against the wall!
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