...shed walls leaking below grade...[title edited]

I built a 12'x12' shed below grade using a poured concrete floor (4"-5" thick) and cinder block walls with concrete filling.
Above grade are just 2x4s, plywood, and siding.

I've tried everything I could to keep water out of this shed and it still leaks, bad. (the below grade portion)

So now I'm thinking of a different angle. Directing the water out.

I had a called a dry-basement company that offered to dig an angled trench around all walls leading water downward to a pump in the corner which would pump the water out of a hole dug in the wall.

This all sounded spectacular until the part about the $4K price tag.

So I thought about this:
Why not buy a concrete drill bit and just drill a bunch of holes in the concrete floor? This way the water just drains through the floor into the ground below and out of my life.

So the questions are:

1. Is there anything that can come UP through those holes, e.g. water, molds, etc. that I wouldn't want to breathe while engaged in a cardio workout?

2. Will the water keep going down or will it just sit on top of the dirt and build up?

3. Considering that I could easily just use this as simply a storage shed, what is my cheapest option besides demolition and removal?

thks,

-MC

 

If there's that much water coming in, I doubt that drilling holes in the floor would do anything but let water in faster. I think that either water would percolate up through the holes or the holes would quickly become clogged and stop draining. A lot depends upon what type of stone base was placed below the slab, and how deep it is. If you poured concrete right on the dirt without putting in a sufficient stone base, then forget the drilled holes altogether. If the slab was placed on top of about a foot or more of granular fill, it may work somewhat, but it would be my last choice of a fix. If you decide to do it, drill only one or two holes and see what happens after a heavy rain. If they work, then maybe more would solve your problem. If they let more water in, plug them back up with hydraulic cement.
I'd call around to see if anyone else would do the work that the 4K guy described, only cheaper.

Steve V

 

and in case it saves anyone some time & effort, neither drylock nor packing hydraulic cement in a dovetail opening did much to slow my leaking problem

 

I agree with Pecos. - If you have water around your foundation, it is more likely to come up through the newly drilled holes than it is to drain out.

Dick

 

was a bad idea, I won't do it

 

It seems that the water table is fairly high. Does your house have the same type of problem?

I don't know that there is an inexpensive option at this point, but here are a few ideas that can be tried alone or in combination:

1. follow the advice of the dry-basement pro. You may be able to cut costs by doing the digging yourself.
2. build a sump well in the slab floor (you'll have to cut out the concrete) and install a sump pump.
3. dig around the foundation and waterproof the foundation walls.
4. do number 3 and backfill. waterproof the inside foundation walls and the existing slab. fill the floor cavity with concrete, let it cure, and seal.
5. move the shed off the existing foundation, demolish the foundation and rebuild it above the water table; re-install the shed on the new foundation.

best wishes!

Rick

 

the first thing i would try
1. dig the dirt out around the foundation all the way to the footing
2. clean the masonry, make sure it is free of any dirt
3. apply a water proofing material
you can get material for water proofing at most local hardware stores i dont remeber exactly what it is called but they will know, there are a variaty of material to do this with you can buy materail that simply wraps around the wall or a cement like material that is applied with a trowel about 3/8 of an inch thick.
the materail to do this are not to expensive so if you want to try different methods to see what works. i would probably do this one first. i would not recomend drilling holes in the floor because water will seep up from the ground throught them and then you will also have to eventualy deal with a cracked floor if you drill to many holes.

 

the basement guy said the unless you have poured concrete, the concrete blocks will always lose the battle against water.

drylock, hydraulic cement, outside waterproofing are all temporary.

I already did the outside waterproofing when I originally built this thing but I do like rdn2113s' #5 idea, that has potential.

then again I may just move the equipment outside, stick up posts and a tarp and have an "outdoor gym"

-MC

 

if those guys estimates are around $4000 and your slab is only a 12 by 12 4 inches thick thats not even a yard its 0.31 which you could mix in a electric mixer you could rent from any building supply cheap ! it would maybe take 50, 80lb bags of quickrete concrete mix at $3.08 a piece or mix it in a wheel barrow use a very good sub base!!! moisture barrier about $10.00, install a drain in the middle of the slab (pvc) at about $15.00 which will run under the slab into a run off hold the drain down about a half inch to allow water to slope into the drain . I could do all that for about $700.which leaves about $3300.00 for more toys ...... now thats priceless...........!!!

 

so what I think I'm hearing is to remix a batch of concrete for the floor, pour it in, and finish the concrete so that it all angles down towards the drain?

If that is a correct assumption then where does the other end of the drain go? If it goes out the other end it still has to drain "up" in order to get out of the ground.

Also I doubt I have the skills to properly angle the floor so that it mimics a shower stall type drain,

maybe I'm reading this wrong,

-MC

 

the drain will run from middle of your slab straight underneath it out one side on your form board each side measure down quater inch run a string from one side to the other thatll show where the top of your drain should be when you place the concrete and straight edge the concrete to grade as you get to the drain use a 2 foot 2 by 4 sit the board against the drain and in a circle moitoin straight edge against the drain . remember when forming at each end use one eigth inch slope for every foot this will allow proper drainage

 

Tonka, you're missing his point. The garage is already too low in relation to the ground around it and he has nowhere for the drain to discharge.

Pecos

 

pecos if i hear you right it sounds like he must of not poured it right to begin with ?