40 year-old home with walk-out basement. North & East exterior basement walls are exposed. West & 50% of South exterior walls are buried. All basement walls are conventional 8" block. West & South walls have come in 1.5". You can see daylight between some of the higher blocks. I knew we had a water problem so I was not shocked to find the walls in this condition when I recently began to remodel the basement. Note also that water sheds towards the house on my West side and I don't think there is a perimiter drain. I should also note that I would like to move to the country in about 10 years. Obviously, I don't want water to ruin my new remodeling job so I am considering the following:
1) Excavate West and 50% of South exterior.
2) Replace West and 50% of south basement block walls with 12" block.
3) Apply sealer and plastic to exterior of new block walls.
4) Install perimiter drain on West & South exterior.
5) Backfill with stone.
6) Reshape West side to shed water away from home.
I have an excellent excavator and mason available with experience in this.
Questions:
1) Overkill/Necessary?
2) Suggestions?
Thanks,
bc

 

1st thing you should do is have your mason and grader come out and give you some estimates and advice.

Ask your mason if your existing walls can be restored. If so have the yard graded to drain AWAY from the house and seal the newly restored block walls and install a vapor barrier.

If the walls need to be removed and rebuilt you will still want your yard graded to drain away from the house but you will also want to install drains along the foundation when the dirt is removed for the wall construction. Then you will want to seal the wall and install vapor barrier.

Your questions show you are on the right track.

Good Luck

 

On the exterior side install the drain and apply a dimpled polypropalene water barrier like they use on commercial.

Don't use a spay or roll on material.

For the furring out see my ansewer to keeneye in basement section.