Can this type of seepage be stopped?

[jkogel]

Not my intention to trigger a JBubba rant, but it's a typical question in my area, foundation straddles a rock outcrop, and it rains a fair bit around here. This place is 60 yrs old and has probably leaked for 59. Can anything short of dynamite fix this?

John Kogel
www.allsafehome.ca

[Douglas Cossar]

John

An epoxy injection process is used around here to seal shrinkage cracks.

That might work here

Cheers

[David P. Valley]

The number one reason why moisture is seeping into basement is due to improper grading. Look at the second image. This house needs some linear french drains installed.

Is that foundation sitting on dirt?

I don't see where it penetrates grading to a footing.

[jkogel]

Originally Posted by dvalley

The number one reason why moisture is seeping into basement is due to improper grading. Look at the second image. This house needs some linear french drains installed.

Is that foundation sitting on dirt?

I don't see where it penetrates grading to a footing.

It's solid rock there.

[David P. Valley]

Originally Posted by jkogel

It's solid rock there.

So they poured a foundation on solid rock and then they failed to correct the grading outside this area? What a mess! Lack of planning on the builders part (60 years ago).


It definitely needs perimeter drainage installed but with the rocky landscape....Good Luck.

I'd tell them to have the grading corrected as much as possible and then to go with some sort of interior basement waterproofing system.

[Larry D. Kage]

Originally Posted by jkogel

It's solid rock there.

It looks like they didn't set the elevation high enough, when they built the place, considering the rock.

I think I might try the epoxy too.

[David P. Valley]

Originally Posted by lkage

It looks like they didn't set the elevation high enough, when they built the place, considering the rock.

Yea, they didn't test water tables back then.

[David P. Valley]

Originally Posted by lkage

I think I might try the epoxy too.

I wouldn't even recommend an epoxy injection in this particular home. It's a wide-open gash at the transition of the foundation and rock. It'll always seep.

Go with a similar system to this.... http://www.bdryboston.com/InstallationProcess.htm

[David A. Andersen]

There are all kinds of exterior subterranean drainage applications that can be used. As David posted, this is a 6P principle.
I see nothing wrong with attaching the foundation to bedrock, however elevated areas should have been removed to provide appropriate subterranean drainage.
Installing this mediation component after construction has a high probability of damaging the structural integrity of the foundation.
We always like to prevent water infiltration, but in this case maybe we should address removal of infiltration of water after the fact. I do not like to see water infiltration occur that is "fixed" by installing interior drainage systems. I would rather see it addressed at the source. However, I live in an area with extremely expansive soil conditions that damage buildings due to the expansive editions of the soil. In this case, it may be more cost-effective to allow the water to pass between the rock (which is not expansive), collect it and discharge it back to the exterior (below grade).
We all know that crawlspaces and basements will allow water intrusion under adverse weather conditions, however we do not want to see this water "hang around".
In this particular case I think I would address the water hanging around situation and call "(the best that we can do at reasonable cost).

[john bubber]

Yeah Mr K, too bad chtt ain`t done right when homes are built like umm, waterproofing the exterior walls and backfilling them w/gravel,sand if one has to.

Does it look like its pretty much ONE area, i can`t tell.

One could try j-hammering/etc the rock out if its one area,yep,take longer and cost a bit more but done right if the problem is a crack/other opening in wall,not a rod hole....of course those can be fixed/packed from inside IF done right.

-Mr Dave,
Expansive soils CAUSE lots of problems/damage and leaving them against a wall that is bowing in,cracking `n leaks is not a good idea.Neither is installing any inside system but do what ya`s like.
30 years i don`t see the 'cost effectiveness' of installing inside system,most often they want between $7,000-20,000 versus many homeowners who only need 1 wall or a corner etc waterproofed which costs a heck of alot less and,stops water from entering.

This homeowner was bs`d into an inside system,still leaks,some mold and efflorescence on wall. He`s OUT over $10,000.The exterior cracks could have waterproofed correctly a few years ago for about $1,500, now it`ll be around $1,650,first 10 pics http://www2.snapfish.com/thumbnailsh...6/t_=122238283
He didn`t need any inside system they simply bs`d him

-Basement Wall Damage
Fairfax County VA tells ya to.....
http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/DPWES/p...marineclay.htm

Cause- yearly cycles of pressure exerted by shrinking/swelling...

Resolution- depending on the extent of damage,some walls may need to be replaced while others can be repaired..........
to prevent further damage,the clay MUST be removed and replaced w/sandy or gravelly soil....and waterproofed,not damproofed.

B dork warranty http://www.bdryboston.com/WarrantyDetails.htm
What do they 'cover'? Not anything that has to do w/wet-damp-leaky basement wall,mold/efflorescence/discolorment,cracks widening or wall bowing in due to exterior lateral pressure etc

[David A. Andersen]

Sorry, don't have time to read your entire post, however I am not suggesting anyone do anything in particular because this is not only a different state but a different country!
Obviously, when you set your house on non-expansive soils (which does not exist above the Canadian line in most cases). Even though the water wants to come in, and it's not a desirable condition, why should you cause undue remediation of a situation (such as dynamite!) that's unavoidable. Yes, they stuck the house in the wrong damn place!
Do anything you can't stop infiltration, when infiltration cannot be controlled, then get it the hell out of there as rapidly as possible.
Nobody can mitigate this situation on the Internet with a couple of pictures.
There's about 1000 questions I could ask about what's going on, but this is not productive.
The "nuts and bolts" of this situation is that if you cannot prevent the infiltration of water from the surrounding landscape due to subterranean water flow, then you simply need to remove it as rapidly as possible and "hope for the best"!

[john bubber]

Dave, not intentionally trying to bark at you or anyone but am trying to help many who`ve been lied to,cheated out of a chttload a money.

Whatever the problem(s) turn out to be for those w/leaky basement,it should first be correctly identified which doesn`t happen too often as most are told all kinds of crap,especially those inside knotheads

There`s only a handul of things it`ll be,doesn`t matter if they live in Tanzania or 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.

Canada....expansive soil
http://irc.nrc-cnrc.gc.ca/pubs/cbd/cbd184_e.html

http://www.riverwatchonline.org/news.../07_09_05.html

Nobody can mitigate 'this' situation on internet....prolly not but certainly have helped many homeowners w/some pictures and articles.

[David A. Andersen]

Nobody can mitigate 'this' situation on internet....prolly not but certainly have helped many homeowners w/some pictures and articles.

This was my first tought, but I get Damned for this kind of thing all too often.

My first thought is that "I can't see nothing from here..."

I agree 100%.

But if you can keep it out in the first place, it's 1,000% better than dealing with in once it gets in.

[Larry D. Kage]

Originally Posted by dandersen

My first thought is that "I can't see nothing from here..."


But if you can keep it out in the first place, it's 1,000% better than dealing with in once it gets in.

Exactly...

[Bob Elliott]

As HI's we are not going to properly diagnose this problem,so what professional are you going to recommend bringing in?