Sealing Basement Walls
I would like to know the best way to seal our basement walls from water leaks. In the spring and summer we get a lot os drainage into our basement. We are working on finishing the basement for a family room and spare bedrooms. Can you reccomend the best sealers out there for this project? Mrs. Handy Chevy: I hate to tell you this, but if you get water seepage, you will not be able to seal it 100% from the inside. This will have to be done from the outside. This will not be cheap either. If you would like more information on this project, you can e-mail me. Good Luck ------------------ Jack the Contractor Jack is correct. Been there, tried that, then fixed it right. Negative fixes are temporary at best. You need to divert the water before it reaches the inside and that can only be done from the outside. The only efective inside measure is to channel the water once it gets inside. You can't stop it from the inside. I do not care for the channeling. A small amount of water also seeps into my basement and I would like to seal it from the outside the right way. In my case, the basement is actually the first floor of a 3 story townhouse and is only about 24 inches below street level. The house is only 18 ft wide and only the back is affected, so it should not be a huge issue to excavate down to the foundation. Any suggestions on what sealant products work best on cinderblock, and whether a drainpipe should be installed at the same time? Home Depot or Lowe's has a product called DryBlock that is good for a water sealant. If you have a problem I would recommend doing a french drain around the house, installing gutters, or re-channelling the down spouts farther away from the house. Good Luck From what I've seen/read, Drylock is great - but mainly for the inside of your basement. That thick, black tar material is what is recommended for the outside of the walls. FWIW, our house also has moisture problems, but have been greatly minimized via outside landscaping and by installing gutters. Yard all around the house has been tapered to go away from the house, by lowering areas further away, raising areas closer, and then slightly digging swales to move the water where I desire it to go. Altho' the house is only ~3 years old, the builders [the original home-owners, not contractors... ] did not properly put enough of that black gunk upon the outer walls, nor did they landscape too well. What is worse tho' is the useage of concrete block walls... which are slightly buckeling - subject of a different post. We also have a dehumidifier running full-time, along w/ a vent into the air intake of the A/C is also open to suck additional air moisture out. So, it does stay quite pleasant down there. Oh, we tried that cheap Wal-Mart drylock material only on the wall that is on the walkout side, and while it seems so far to be ok, the real mccoy is the only stuff we will use on the main/important walls. Whatever you do use, please use some ventilation, as the fumes are not so friendly. my basement stays dry, but has lots of moisture. the dehumidifier runs full time and really helps. but i think we still have some mold problems down there as my girlfriend is allergic and is constantly having a reaction since we moved in. the house is 80 yo and has stone walls. i think i will wash them with bleach solution first, but would also like to cover the stone with something less suseptable to mold(fill gaps and minor cracks) and give a more uniform look. any ideas as to what would work best for this? Most basement moisture issues can be resolved by keeping gutters and downspouts clear to carry away water. Avoid splash blocks because they deposit water too close to foundation. Make sure soil around foundation is sloped to carry water away from structure. Sealing basement walls will prevent vapor emissions from transpiring through concrete and masonry, but it will not address water coming through walls. Digging up around foundation, installing drains, and properly sealing exterior walls tends to solve severe moisture issues. A quality waterproofing paint can be used on interior walls. Most waterproofing paints tend not to adhere to walls that have already been sealed or painted. Running a dehumidifier in basement to reduce humidity levels to 35-55% is important. Mold is likely to grow when humidity is 60% or more. The only way to measure humidity is with a hygrometer, which is sold where thermometers are sold. Running fans in basement will improve air circulation. Avoid opening basement windows which allow moist, humid air to enter basement. I too have a damp basement and have heard all the ways to keep it dry. Does anyone think that plywood/paneling is better than drywall beacuse it won't hold the water? I'm going to redo the basement and don't know what I should put on the wall. I think if there is a leak drywall should be the last thing on the walls down there. A little help if you can. P.S. what's the cheap dry way to go? I have a new house in Atlanta and a full basement that will be finished over the next year. Drainage is not a problem with my property. Should I seal the concrete walls, and if so with what product? Obviously, a lot of sealers and coatings are available. You mentioned in your post that you were adding bedrooms to your basement. Once you figure out keep the basement dry make sure any bedrooms meet local egress code requirements. In a bedroom, there has to be a window (and window well if applicable) that is sized so a person can get out and more improtantly a fire fighter can get in. This is not something to skimp on. Every day kids die in basements with add on bedrooms with no way out. Good luck with your project. DavidJ
Related Posts:
What is the best waterproofer for basement walls
what is the best waterproofer for basement wallsI am getting ready to finish my basement and was wondering if somebody could tell what is the best selant/waterproofer for concrete block walls? Non...
Sealing up foundation vents
Sealing up foundation vents?It seems like conventional wisdom is changing out there to the point where it is no longer recommended to install foundation vents around your house. Evidently, thinkin...
Tar seal for basement walls
Tar seal for basement wallsDoes anyone know about tar sealant for my basement walls?has any1 used this and how good is it? It does a good job of sealing the exterior walls of a basement when appli...
Should i get a dehumidifier for my basement
Should i get a dehumidifier for my basement?How do I even know if I need one? I would like to store some things from electronics to clothing but I'm not sure if I need to get a unit or not and if...
Vinyl plank floor over basement concrete is cuppingseller says put down plastic
Vinyl plank floor over basement concrete is cupping-seller says put down plasticI won't mention the brand name, but we installed one of those new plank vinyl floors that do not require gluing. Sim...
