"dry" basement water problem
#1
01-14-05, 07:23 PM
"dry" basement water problem
a little background.... i live in a partially finished bilevel home that sits about 4ft underground in NW indiana... this past week, we had very heavy rainfall and warm temps that melted 4" of snow already on the ground followed by artic temps... everybodys yard is an icerink... we never had a water problem before this week... today, i wake up to water seeping in from the garage into the laundry room.... not a flood, but enough to soak a few towels.... the source appears to be coming from seam between the bottom concrete stair and the foundation.... no water is resting against the wall outside the garage or clogged gutter..... i dont know what to do.... im open for any suggestions... no obvious cracks anywhere... i have no clue what area my options.... please help... i will keep an eye on any posts for quick replies.... thanx...
#2
01-15-05, 06:51 AM
Member
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: Asheboro, NC
Posts: 332
Upvotes: 0
Received 0 Upvotes
on
0 Posts
Well it seems you have fallen victim to unusual weather conditions.
If you have that much rain, and now have a soaked yard that has frozen.
That might be a little outside the design parameters of any basement.
It sounds to me like you have a small crack …which is normal and usually not a point of concern. You’re landscaping and measures to keep the water away from the foundation sounds like they have been working.
But alas…your house is not a boat, and probably wasn’t designed for this level of ground saturation.On the surface it may look like the the ground isnt soaked, but if the drainage around the base of the foundation is restricted in that area, you may find the ground beneath it to be soaked.
Being that your only 4’ deep…I would suggest to monitor the situation till the conditions dry out some, then I would check the drainage in that area, you might need to dig down and add a French drain, or add some gravel to help direct the water find a easier way around your house rather than through it.
If you can find the crack, sealing it would be a idea…but from my point of view..right now the rest of your basement needs that crack to help relieve the pressure. Stopping the leak now could result in a new crack forming somewhere else.
If you have that much rain, and now have a soaked yard that has frozen.
That might be a little outside the design parameters of any basement.
It sounds to me like you have a small crack …which is normal and usually not a point of concern. You’re landscaping and measures to keep the water away from the foundation sounds like they have been working.
But alas…your house is not a boat, and probably wasn’t designed for this level of ground saturation.On the surface it may look like the the ground isnt soaked, but if the drainage around the base of the foundation is restricted in that area, you may find the ground beneath it to be soaked.
Being that your only 4’ deep…I would suggest to monitor the situation till the conditions dry out some, then I would check the drainage in that area, you might need to dig down and add a French drain, or add some gravel to help direct the water find a easier way around your house rather than through it.
If you can find the crack, sealing it would be a idea…but from my point of view..right now the rest of your basement needs that crack to help relieve the pressure. Stopping the leak now could result in a new crack forming somewhere else.
#3
01-15-05, 12:05 PM
thank you very much.... right now i have the water "dammed" off from entering the house..... looking further, it looks like the water is coming from under the stair.... no obvious foundation cracks or leaks from anywhere else(knock on wood)... come spring after the water subsides, what would i need to do to patch the leak??? anyother advice would be greatly appreciated.... and again thank you... im a pretty good doityourselfer, but leaking foundations in a newly finished basement is enough to make me gasp in fear... 
