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define what your problem is first-basement seepage


Posted by Mark on April 1st, 2004 06:42 AM

Home Imp radio shows(Haege) and news articles continue to misrepresent the Outside method vs the Inside drain tile method.And the more people hear it the more likely they are to believe it,just like the Politicians try and do.Folks,lets try this again--If you have water/moisture coming from a basement wall it is almost always because you have a vertical,horizontal step crack(s)on the Outside of the wall where you are leaking inside,and/or you have other direct openings above ground that is allowing water to enter including open mortar joints,loose-cracked bricks,caulking needs around windows and doors or where any line enters your home,and windows w/screens can be the problem as well.So you need to go outside and seal all openings that allow water/moisture inside.Cracks in the basement walls need to be dug out to footing,haul all dirt away,seal w/hydraulic cement,apply thick tar & visqueen over wall and backfill w/100% peastone.An Inside method Will keep water off your floor if installed correctly..but it does not stop water/moisture that has already entered through cracks so it cannot stop mold-efflorescence and it cannot take hydrostatic pressure off the outside of the basement wall..the deeper the wall the more Hyd. pressure against it..35-40% of you have walls that are beginning to bow-push in or already have shifted(you may not be able to see if you have paneling-drywall up) in so WHY would you have an inside method installed,it does Nothing to relieve pressure.If you have water that comes up through cracks in floors or your home is in a high water table area and water is NOT coming from the walls then YES,the only means by which you can keep water off your floor and/or control the level of water under the floor is to have an inside method and/or sump-pump installed.Different situations...different answer for the problem.Its just that I`ve seen many homeowners "taken" and led to believe that their problem was"under the floor"..when it wasn`t! They paid to have inside method installed with no thought from many contractors that the real reason they where leaking was because there were crack(s) in the basement wall and close to half the time there was bowing-shifting of the wall and 6 months later the wall has bowed even more because the inside method does nothing to take pressure off the wall.And-or these same homeowners in 6 months or so began to smell-see mold...again...because the water is still coming into and through the walls! So now those people have spent X amount for what? They still need to waterproof from outside,or straighten,or even Replace part of their walls! BIG Mistake! Thats why if ya notice the companies who mostly install the inside method Do Not Cover "Discoloration" of the walls(mold,efflorescence,dampness etc)and they Do Not cover any structural problems--and many of these companies place a sheeting against the inside of the wall to "Hide" what is happening to the walls. Already this week I`ve run estimates to homeowners who have shown me the inside companies wanted to install drain tiles under the floor all the way around the basement for $6,000-15,000...and their only problem was 1 or 2 vertical cracks in the basement walls! Had Nothing to do with any other part of the basement walls or under the floor..None! They could have their problems fixed for $775-1,250...and yet were being pressured into spending more money for work not needed and who Haege recommends.And speaking of the"Master-Handyman"..I would ask how many waterproofing jobs has he actually done and guaranteed himself..NONE is my guess.This is a guy who tells ya to install a french drain or mud jack or raise the grade or place tar-epoxy along driveway to "divert" water...Jesus Glenn,what if the homeowners has cracks in the walls and/or bowing-movement? Does he seriously think that will do Anything to help pressure or water that "wicks" underground constantly? You can try & divert surface water(1'-3') with these tactics but it won`t do anything for water/moisture that is still in the soil,deeper underground against the rest of the basement wall and won`t take pressure off the walls.If your problem is UNDER the floor then..yes,your gonna need a sump and/or inside method! If your problem is water coming from the base of the wall (isolation joint) then you should have an Outside method done in that area.

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