Basement
leaks not only make life miserable, but they can weaken the foundation
of your home. Basement walls should seal out a moderate amount
of water, but few will withstand a great deal of water pressure.
If the wall leaks only during heavy rains, you may be able to
solve the problem by adding extensions to your gutter downspouts
to direct rainwater away from the basement walls. You may find
that your yard slopes in a way that causes rain water to flow
toward your home. If so, some corrective landscaping may be needed
to solve your problem.
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Clean
away dirt, grease, and dust from the wall. If you are
using a cement-based sealing product, wet the wall thoroughly
with a fine mist from a garden hose. Mix the liquid and
powder components of the sealer thoroughly, and apply
with a stiff brush. |
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As
you brush, be sure to fill in all the pores in the wall.
Go over cracks several times to fill them. If a crack
is too large to fill in with sealer, use hydraulic cement
(Steps 1-3). With some sealers, you must keep the sealant
wet for several days to ensure bonding. Apply a second
coat if necessary. |
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Enlarge
the hole or crack with a cold chisel and hammer. Undercut
it to make a "key" so that the plug won't come loose.
Make the hole at least 1/2 inch deep. Whisk out fragments
of concrete. |
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In
a bucket, add water to the dry mix until it has a puttylike
consistency. Then work it by hand. For a hole, roll it
into the shape of a plug. Roll a long snake shape for
a crack. |
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Squeeze
the material into the opening. Keep pushing and pushing
to make sure it fills every tiny crevice. If water is
leaking through the wall at the time of the repair, it
should stop running. Hold the material in place for several
minutes to allow the patch to set. |
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If
the problem is fairly high up on the foundation wall,
you may be able to do the digging yourself. Otherwise,
hire an excavating contractor to backhoe a trench wide
enough for you to work in. Remove the dirt close to the
wall by hand. Brush the wall clean. |
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You
can hire contractors who specialize in this type of coating.
To do it yourself, wash the wall clean, allow it to dry,
and apply two coats of tar like bituminous sealer. Or,
back plaster the wall with two coats of mortar (see Building
Concrete Block Walls, Related Projects) and apply the
sealer. |
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Dig
a trench along the footing and install a sloping, perforated
drainpipe embedded in gravel (see Building Dry-Laid Retaining
Walls, Related Projects). Stick heavy-gauge polyethylene
sheeting to the wall sealer. Drape it over the footing,
but not the gravel drain. Overlap all seams at least
6 inches. |
