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Damp basement w/ efflorescence forming (?Radonseal?)

Damp basement w/ efflorescence forming (?Radonseal?)


  #1  
Old 08-23-05, 11:08 AM
hiester7
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Damp basement w/ efflorescence forming (?Radonseal?)

Hello. This is a first for me at this, but we need some impartial opinions, and this seems the way to go. I know this message is long (my husband said no one will read this because it's too long), but I needed to give details in order to get the right help. So, here's the problem.

Our home is a new construction. It will be 1 year in October. Since we moved in, we have had some moisture on the basement walls, which has gotten increasingly larger. We had the builder come out and they regraded the exterior where the moisture was coming through. The downspouts extend out away from the property by about 2 1/2 to 3 feet, so that's not an issue, but the moisture is still seeping in. I made sure all plantings were planted away from the foundation and all dirt in angled away from the house. I also know that they did put that black sealer stuff on the exterior below the dirt line, but, again, the moisture is still seeping in (did I mention we have that awful clay soil?). We've been running a dehumidifier constantly which drains into our sump pump via garden hose, but the moisture remains. We had the contractor out here again and were told that everything they could do has been done, and had someone from a company called Sani-dry tell us the same thing, and that we should buy and install their $2,600 dehumifying system to relieve the problem. We've also been told by several people that Drylok would also not be an option because the moisture coming in would eventually force its way through thereby causing it to peel and chip off.

Long story short - has anyone ever heard of or had experience with RadonSeal? It's a spray-on application that claims to waterproof by penetrating the concrete block, damp-proof, as well as prevent Radon seepage (which seems to be a problem in our area). Also, has anyone heard of Humidex? This is a ventilation system that extracts the damp air out of the house and keeps the air circulating, thereby keeping the house dry. It's so much less expensive than the Sani-dry thing - and smaller with absolutely no maintenance or filters.

Anyone anywhere hear of any of these things? Any ideas or opinions would be greatly appreciated. We're just so confused!!!!! Thanks!
 
  #2  
Old 08-23-05, 12:21 PM
W
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I would do a plastic sheet test to be sure it is moisture seeping in and not condensation. You tape a 1'x1' square of plastic sheeting on the wall and seal around it with tape. Come back in a couple of days and see if the water is beneath it or on the outside. If it is beneath it, it is moisture seeping in. If it is on the outside, it is condensation. For condensation, use a dehumidifier. The $2600 dehumidifier system seems questionable though. If it is moisture seeping in, I would make the builder fix it.

With regards to Radon, buy a test from HD or Lowes to test for Radon yourself. Our neighbor had a Radon problem and our house was fine. Don't assume you have a problem without testing first. It will buy you peace of mind to test it and know for sure.

I highly recommend paying for an impartial inspector to come out and look at your water problem while you are still under warranty.

Good luck!
 
  #3  
Old 08-23-05, 01:57 PM
Join Date: Mar 2005
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basement w/ efflorescence forming (?Radonseal?)

If you build a new home in a clay soil, it should have either interior or exterior drain tile (I have seen both) around the footing. The "black stuff" is only for looks or it is as best a moisture repellant. Building a basement in clay is like building a swimming pool in reverse.

Your builder knew he had clay soil and all recommendations show the use of drain tile for any type of basement with poorly draining soils or with high water tables.

Don't settle for a temporary (at best) solution of some paint on, unproven "mystery spit" that claims to do everything.

Push your builder for a complete correction before the year is up. Proper retrofitting with drain tile is the only proven method I am aware of.

Dick
 
  #4  
Old 08-23-05, 02:27 PM
Join Date: Mar 2005
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Damp basement w/ efflorescence forming (?Radonseal?)

Just an additional note -

Your title mentioned efflorescence. If you have efflorescence, the source of the moisture is not from condenstation. It is from the soluable salts being carried through the concrete and deposited on the surface when the moisture evaporates.

All concrete has these soluable salts. On the exterior of a building, they are washed off by the weather. They are an excellent indicator of the presence of moisture.

The "black stuff" may be an organic compound that will dry and deteriorate with time.

Dick
 
  #5  
Old 08-24-05, 07:55 AM
S
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I used a product similar to radon seal (Enduro-seal, they claim to manufacture radonseal) and am just beginning to finish my basement. We did not really have any water problems before, so it's hard for me to say how much difference it has made. Maybe I'll run a dehumidifier down there and see how long it takes to fill up. Before applying that product, it took 1.5-2 days to fill up.

Also, I've heard of people recommending the downspouts 5-10ft from the foundation instead of the 3 feet that you have.
 
  #6  
Old 08-24-05, 08:33 PM
hiester7
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Re: RadonSeal & Damp Basement

Thanks everyone for the suggestions. According to the builder's warranty and homeowner's manual they provided, some moisture is to be expected in the first 1-2 years until the ground outside settles (not the exact wording). After that time the seepage should stop. However, because the of the excessive moisture and the spreading of the seepage, I took photos and will contact the builder again, being a bit more forceful this time.

I have the dehumidifier running constantly and it used to take 1 day to fill. That's why we now have it draining into the sump pump. That's a bit excessive. So, we will hold off on sealing the basement until we see what kind of a response we get from the builder.

To: Concretemasonry - Yes we do have the interior drain all around the basement leading to the sump pump.

To: smmetz
As far as the EnduraSeal, let me know how that works for you.

Thanks again.
 
 

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