WET BASEMENT

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Hello Bob Villa.
Your programs are very interesting and informative! I really enjoy them!

I bought an old home; 104 yrs; in the country, 30 mimutes East of Ottawa, On. Canada. The foundation wall is at least 12" thick. It has been cracked by tree roots, I beleive, and the extreme cold winters we have here only aggravate the problem. The water just streams down those cracks in the wall when it rains or the ground thaws out. Whatever it is, the basement floor is usually flooded. It has a column sump pump in a small hole about 12"to15" diameter. We just dug a new regular sized hole on the opposite side of the basement and installed a new submersible sump pump. I know now that the water table is much higher than the basement floor in that area. When the grounds start thawing out it won't be pretty! How can I dewater that basement without damaging the old foundation? Can it be done safely and permanently from the inside without digging; as you say? I don't believe there were weeping tiles in those days! There is a systern in a corner that is only about 6" away from either outside walls. The cracks there are minimal.
How can those walls be water-proofed?

It's a two-story structure, still in good solid condition. It is supported by large wooden logs but what seems to be the main support beam is a very large wooden beam/log resting partially on top of the foundation windows at each end, and a new support post at the centre of the beam.
I'd like to push/move the windows about 12" from the beam and replace them with foundation material in order to secure that main beam. How do I go about that and what material do I use?

The top and main floors are solid but not absolutely level; it shows a lot in the main floor bathroom where the (modern) bathtub is almost 2"higher near the outside wall. How can the floors be levelled?

Under three layers of lenolium we discovered painted hardwood planks; some of them needing repairs/patches. I thought I should sand and repair them, then either paint or varnish them without changing the charm/character of the old house. What do you think?

A summer kitchen was added/attached to the old house but there is only a crawling space beneath it. That floor is also caving in toward the center making my wood stove look lopsided. Can that floor be levelled also? How? I don't believe that newer part was insulated, it's too cold and hard to warm up in there. For the winter we surrounded that part with Polywrap; will it cause damage to leave the wrap there through the summer or until we find a way to insulate it properly?

By the way; I thoroughly enjoy your programs! I never thought I would ever be writing to you! After my father died and my children were old enough, I decided to take a course in home building just to find out what my dad forgot to teach me while I worked alongside him during my summer breaks from studies or teaching.
As a young teacher, when I first took-up wood-working at night I was the only woman in that course. I believe I was also the first woman to take that in the Ottawa area. It took a while for the men to realise that I could use the electric tools without their help. In 1985/6 I followed "The Knack Of Building Your Own Home" with Mr. Pasternak. I really enjoyed it! I am now a senior citizen who enjoys repairing an old home but I have never delt with wet basements and unlevelled floors before. Any help you can give me will be greatly appreaciated.

You are welcome to visit the old place if you wish.

A fan,

Jeannine Pruner
Ottawa,ON. Canada
(613)744-1560