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Help! Basement leak with unknown source!
A few weeks ago when we had that strong rain storm, we noticed a leak in our basement closet. It stopped when the rain stopped. Then a few days later, the wood floor in our kitchen (kind of above the leak), warped under our sink, and we called a plumber who said that our sink was leaking under the floor, and fixed the leak. He thought maybe the leak in the basement was still from the rain b/c it wasnt directly under the sink. We had no more leaking until the hurricane. The same leak in the closet happened, but also a leak a little bit down from the closet, but inline with the 1st leak. Then both of those leaks stopped, but a third started still in line, just further down again. Finally, a 4th leak still in line with the others is still dripping...We called a roofer today thinking it was possibly the shingles around the the skylight letting water in and somehow it was running down to the basement, but the roofer swore the skylight was sealed. He patched a differnt leak that he found in the attic but swore there was no way it was making it to the basement. He thinks it must be a plumbing issue b/c it is still dripping! He did clean out our gutters, but didnt think that was causing the leaks either.
The leaks are under our kitchen, but how much of a coincidence can it be that we only noticed them during heavy rains???
DH is calling the plumber again tomorrow, but I was wondering if there is another person we should be calling to figure out where the water is really getting in! Our basement is finished, but luckily the drips are not in the finished part! I dont know what else we should do!
ETA: could it be foundational even though the ceiling in the basement is higher than the foundation???
Message edited 8/29/2011 10:23:49 PM.
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Posted 8/29/11 10:19 PM  |
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Prudential Douglas Elliman Real Estate
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Mrs213
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Member since 2/09 18986 total posts
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Re: Help! Basement leak with unknown source!
Could it be leaking in through a rotting window sill or something or coming in through the foundation somewhere?
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| Posted 8/29/11 10:27 PM |
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Charly
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Member since 5/05 12578 total posts
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Re: Help! Basement leak with unknown source!
We had a similar problem and it took us a long time to figure it out. We kept thinking it was our toliet ring and repairing it. Then I realized it really only happened when it rained.
In our house there is a pipe that runs from basement up through the roof (I think its pretty standard to have this - something to do with the venting of the plumbing.) Anyway there was a tiny crack between the shingle and this pipe. Once they pulled the shingle off from around that pipe they found a crack and it was a relatively inexpensive repair (a few hundred dollars.)
Is the leak around a pipe? The pipe could be behind the walls, but in our case it was exposed. Just a thought...
Good luck! Its so hard to find where the leaks come from sometimes.
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| Posted 8/29/11 10:28 PM |
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Nayia
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Member since 10/07 1824 total posts
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Penny
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Re: Help! Basement leak with unknown source!
we had something similar happen to us 2 years ago when we have some bad bad rainstorms after all the snow had melted.
The ground was super saturated already adn the rain added to it. We had a crack in the foundation of the house and it was seeping in through there.
We called a company and they checked it out and confirmed it was coming in through the foundation.. thats why it was coming up from the floor rather than leaking in from anywhere.
What they did was rip up the whole interior floor along that side of the house, went about 5 ft down, put in a french drain and closed it back up. We have not had any issues since. They guarantee it for life. Any water comes in along that side of the house they come and fix it free of charge. Of course it cost an arm and a leg though...
From what u describe it sounds like you might have a similar situation.
If you want I can look up the info and give it to you.
HTH
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| Posted 8/29/11 10:33 PM |
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Re: Help! Basement leak with unknown source!
Posted by Charly
We had a similar problem and it took us a long time to figure it out. We kept thinking it was our toliet ring and repairing it. Then I realized it really only happened when it rained.
In our house there is a pipe that runs from basement up through the roof (I think its pretty standard to have this - something to do with the venting of the plumbing.) Anyway there was a tiny crack between the shingle and this pipe. Once they pulled the shingle off from around that pipe they found a crack and it was a relatively inexpensive repair (a few hundred dollars.)
Is the leak around a pipe? The pipe could be behind the walls, but in our case it was exposed. Just a thought...
Good luck! Its so hard to find where the leaks come from sometimes.
Who figured it out? A plumber or roofer? We do have this pipe, and the roofer found a small leak in the attic (But said there was not enough water to have gone into the basement) He did seal around it to stop the leak in the attic, but didnt think that was the problem. The closet leak was near a pipe, but that one stopped and now its dripping down the line from that leak... Plus it is still dripping, unless that much water got in and is now sitting above the ceiling slowly dripping out...
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| Posted 8/29/11 10:34 PM |
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Re: Help! Basement leak with unknown source!
Posted by Nayia
we had something similar happen to us 2 years ago when we have some bad bad rainstorms after all the snow had melted.
The ground was super saturated already adn the rain added to it. We had a crack in the foundation of the house and it was seeping in through there.
We called a company and they checked it out and confirmed it was coming in through the foundation.. thats why it was coming up from the floor rather than leaking in from anywhere.
What they did was rip up the whole interior floor along that side of the house, went about 5 ft down, put in a french drain and closed it back up. We have not had any issues since. They guarantee it for life. Any water comes in along that side of the house they come and fix it free of charge. Of course it cost an arm and a leg though...
From what u describe it sounds like you might have a similar situation.
If you want I can look up the info and give it to you.
HTH
Our leak is dripping from the basement ceiling, not coming up from the basement floor...is this what you had or was yours coming from the floor?? The basement ceiling is higher than ground level outside...could it still be foundation? If you know the company you used, Ill def take the info and look into it! Thanks! :)
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| Posted 8/29/11 10:37 PM |
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LSP2005
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Member since 5/05 19458 total posts
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L
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Re: Help! Basement leak with unknown source!
Have they re-caulked the flanges or do you have a satellite dish that was attached to your roof? I would get a second opinion from another roofer. I wonder if it could be a small crack in your roof or shingles. Do you have an attic? Can your DH go in with a flashlight to see if he can see any wet spots?
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| Posted 8/29/11 10:41 PM |
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Re: Help! Basement leak with unknown source!
Posted by LSP2005
Have they re-caulked the flanges or do you have a satellite dish that was attached to your roof? I would get a second opinion from another roofer. I wonder if it could be a small crack in your roof or shingles. Do you have an attic? Can your DH go in with a flashlight to see if he can see any wet spots?
The first roofer that came found nothing, so he sent a second roofer (From the same company), with over 20 years experience to look. The second roofer spent 15 minutes in the attic looking, thats how he found the small leak but swore there was no way it was leaking to the basement.
I was thinking about calling a different roofing company though...just have to convince DH, who now seems to agree that it is a plumbing problem (even though it happened in the rain!)
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| Posted 8/29/11 10:47 PM |
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Charly
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Member since 5/05 12578 total posts
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Re: Help! Basement leak with unknown source!
Posted by MrsECullen7319
Who figured it out? A plumber or roofer? We do have this pipe, and the roofer found a small leak in the attic (But said there was not enough water to have gone into the basement) He did seal around it to stop the leak in the attic, but didnt think that was the problem. The closet leak was near a pipe, but that one stopped and now its dripping down the line from that leak... Plus it is still dripping, unless that much water got in and is now sitting above the ceiling slowly dripping out...
We had the plumber first - he found the toilet had a cracked ring and fixed it. We all thought that would stop the problem. Once it didn't stop I had him come back, the second I said I noticed it when it rained he went into the attic. However when he went it wasn't raining and he didn't notice a leak. Then it rained and it leaked again, he suggested we call a roofer. The roofer didn't notice it through the attic because it wasn't a roof leak (and it wasn't raining when he got there), it was small and very close to the pipe. After it stopped raining he pulled back a few shingles and then he saw the gap or crack - I don't remember. It took him no time to fix it and it never leaked again.
Message edited 8/29/2011 10:59:24 PM.
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| Posted 8/29/11 10:58 PM |
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Nayia
<3 <3 <3
Member since 10/07 1824 total posts
Name:
Penny
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Re: Help! Basement leak with unknown source!
Posted by MrsECullen7319
Posted by Nayia
we had something similar happen to us 2 years ago when we have some bad bad rainstorms after all the snow had melted.
The ground was super saturated already adn the rain added to it. We had a crack in the foundation of the house and it was seeping in through there.
We called a company and they checked it out and confirmed it was coming in through the foundation.. thats why it was coming up from the floor rather than leaking in from anywhere.
What they did was rip up the whole interior floor along that side of the house, went about 5 ft down, put in a french drain and closed it back up. We have not had any issues since. They guarantee it for life. Any water comes in along that side of the house they come and fix it free of charge. Of course it cost an arm and a leg though...
From what u describe it sounds like you might have a similar situation.
If you want I can look up the info and give it to you.
HTH
Our leak is dripping from the basement ceiling, not coming up from the basement floor...is this what you had or was yours coming from the floor?? The basement ceiling is higher than ground level outside...could it still be foundation? If you know the company you used, Ill def take the info and look into it! Thanks! :)
Mine was coming in from the floor but I have a split so it was the floor to the mid basement and ceiling to the actual basement.. if that makes sense.
The bulk of the water was coming into the level b4 the basement but if we had not fixed it it would have started leaking into the basement too.
We called the company and they come and they check it out 1st, tell u where the water is coming from and tell u if they can fix it. Its free to have them come check it.
this is the company we used
Home Healthy Homes
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| Posted 8/29/11 11:02 PM |
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