Home

[f45y]

Hi guys I need help. The condition is little worse, I’m having problem with basement flooding during heavy rain storms. Since this is the first time I’m noticing it and I don’t have any idea on how to do things. Does anyone have the same issue? What procedure had you opted? Should I seek the help of a basement waterproofing service? The water was two feet all around my house and it’s getting on my nerve. I just want to get rid of this situation as soon as possible. I would appreciate your comments.

[itsmagic]

Sorry to hear your basement is getting wet! One thing to check is that all the dirt around the outside foundation is sloping away from the house. Sometimes as years go by the dirt sinks in next to the foundation and doesn't allow the rain to run off. Also make sure the eaves and downspouts are not plugged and are draining away from the house.

[lolakimono]

Yes, as @itsmagic mentioned, you need to check the grading around your property and make sure that the foundation is protected.  Every year I get ten bags of topsoil and go around the property to add more around the foundation line.

It sounds to me like you need a sump pump.

[Stevie Nix]

All of the above, but if there is a spring under your house, you may need to have french drains installed.  You need to consult with a professionals.   We had the same problem seveal years ago.  Good luck.

[Montana]

Yes, call a company who specializes in waterproofing basements. I had a problem with water collecting inside my basement and needed a french drain to solve the problem.

Look for a company with the longest guarantee you can find. The company I used had a lifetime warranty which they honored years later when another problem cropped up.

And don"t keep waiting. This kind of problem only gets worse.

[Buck-i-Nana]

Best to have it professionally checked out, but of course that takes time and the lead time on getting that kind of work done is at least a month or more (at least in my area).  That leaves you in a bind should these heavy rains continue.

You can get a submersible utility pump at Lowes or any larger hardware store for about $100 or less depending on the power of the motor.  You hook a hose up to it and can pump that water out. I bought one years ago for pumping out a pond and my pool cover in the spring and it has come in very handy on many occasions.

[Allegheny]

First off, I am sorry you are dealing with this situation.  Don't know part of country you live, but you are not alone .  Though that probably does not give you much comfort.  All suggestions given by others are excellent.

We have had rain almost daily for the past two weeks and many in PA are experiencing water in the basement to some degree.  My uncle has seepage coming in his basement game room and garage. Thus far he has been able to control it pretty well with a dehumidifier.  To do a total repair for him would cost thousands of dollars as I don't believe when his home was built they routinely frenched drained them.

We also have a somewhat damp basement, even though the entire perimeter of the house is french drained. We did regrading of the problem area and also applied a coating of DrylLoc to our foundation interior block walls.  Since we have no windows to open in our basement, we will be considering a stand alone dehumidifier (there is already one in AC system) At this point we have no need for a sump pump.

Having a waterproofing company come is a good step, however, remember it is their job to sell you their service.  My thoughts on this is yes, you need to do something, but is it as drastic as what they are going to make it.  If you had two feet water outside and very little in the basement, in my mind your basement is holding up pretty good.  However over years it will need some attention as things deteriorate with each episode.

[Mominohio]

---

@Montana wrote:
Yes, call a company who specializes in waterproofing basements. I had a problem with water collecting inside my basement and needed a french drain to solve the problem.

Look for a company with the longest guarantee you can find. The company I used had a lifetime warranty which they honored years later when another problem cropped up.

And don"t keep waiting. This kind of problem only gets worse.

---

While this isn't bad advice, I will caution you that those basement waterproofing companies are not really fixing the problem often times. They are channeling the water, relying on sump pumps, and tearing up around the inner foundation of your home. 

What really needs to happen is to try to make all water flow away from your foundation. First, you have to determine where the water is coming from. Start with gutters, are the working properly, kept clean and the down spouts in tact? Where do those downspouts go? If they spill out on top of the ground, do you have nice long pieces that move that water well beyond the foundation of your house? If they go under ground, are the outlet pipes clear, uncloged, unblocked and flowing freely? To find out, put a hose up in the gutter, near the down spouts, and watch to see where the water is coming out or if it is even coming out where it should be, well away from the foundation.

Next, check the grading around the house. It needs to be sloping away from the house. 

Check to see exactly how the water is coming in. Cracks in the foundation? That will require having the wall fixed. Then moving water away from the foundation with more tiles and pipes. Coming up through basement floor drains, will require them to be cleaned, out or most likely torn up and replaced. If replacing the tiles or the pipes  that lead to your drains, be sure they use a solid and very heavy guage pipe, not the cheap flimsy stuff that the contractors want to use, as it will crush again, over time.

Consult a variety of contractors, and get lots of opinions. Don't trust the first company to come through the doors. And ultimately, the goal it to catch and drain away water near the house and from the roof and down spouts, first, then address foundation and drain issues that are broken, clogged, or nonexistent. 

Edited to add, these kinds of problems are often not a quick and easy fix, and very often require a lot of money and a lot of tear up to get drainage tiles laid and/or unclogged. Be prepared for the possibility of a mess, and a sizable financial outlay. And as others have stated, waiting only allows it to get worse. Your entire house rests on the foundation, and if the foundation isn't solid and protected, the integrity of the rest of the house can be compromised, very slowly, over time.

[Tigriss]

We don't have basements down here because we would all have indoor pools even in a drought! I would go to the professionals since there seems to be so many different potential problems and causes.

[RedTop]

If I read this situation correctly, and you have 2 ft of water surrounding the outside of your house, you can still expect to have water inside your basement, even with waterproofing. Standing water will seep in around the doorframe as well.