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scottf
LIF Zygote
Member since 5/10 28 total posts
Name:
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Water in Basement Arrgh!
So we purchased a house last summer and knew it had some water damage in the past because some of the wood paneling in the basemnent was rotted at the bottom but so far we had no water in the basemnet, till now 
I came home and theres wasn't much water
but there were a couple of pools on the floor, it seems to be coming from one wall, possibly from behind the sink basin. Possibly a foundation crack. It might be because we has a ton of snow in the backyard and a lot of it melted today along with the rain.
What procedures should i take in this situation? My father in law said we should just mop it up and in the summer, concrete around the house and set up drains to keep water away from the house. But he didnt seem sure, anyone have experience with this? Thanks in advance!
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Posted 1/18/11 8:25 PM  |
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Goobster
:)
Member since 5/07 27557 total posts
Name:
:)
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Re: Water in Basement Arrgh!
I think this snow/ice is extreme this year, with gutters not being able to do their jobs with all the ice on our roofs, gutters, etc. I would not make any decisions based on this.
Do you have alot of snow/ice on your gutters/roof?
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| Posted 1/18/11 9:46 PM |
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Melmel821
Love being a mom!
Member since 5/08 2776 total posts
Name:
Melanie
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Re: Water in Basement Arrgh!
we have some repairs to make in the basement and then we are installing a french drain and sump pump. I hear good things about them Whatever water accumulates from any direction it collects and pumps it away from the house.
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| Posted 1/19/11 6:39 AM |
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Chatham-Chick
*********************
Member since 5/05 10311 total posts
Name:
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Re: Water in Basement Arrgh!
you need to find out where the water is coming in from.
is there a patio/porch up against the foundation near where your water problem is?
does your drainage lead away from your home?
what are your water tables like? type of soil? property grading?
Unfortunately french drains and/or sump pumps won't guarantee you a dry basement.
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| Posted 1/19/11 8:53 AM |
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Melmel821
Love being a mom!
Member since 5/08 2776 total posts
Name:
Melanie
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Re: Water in Basement Arrgh!
There are waterproofing / basement finishing companies. Our water seemed to be from a high water table and from the grading going the wrong way. So yes, you do need to find out where the water is coming from. Getting a few companies in for quotes and to go over where water may be coming from and to figure out solutions is what I recommend.
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| Posted 1/19/11 9:15 AM |
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Megs4
LIF Adult
Member since 11/08 1619 total posts
Name:
Megan
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Re: Water in Basement Arrgh!
Posted by Goobster
I think this snow/ice is extreme this year, with gutters not being able to do their jobs with all the ice on our roofs, gutters, etc. I would not make any decisions based on this.
Do you have alot of snow/ice on your gutters/roof?
I agree with this. When we first moved into our house we got a little water in our basement after the first big rainstorm. After that we got up on the roof, cleaned the gutters and then removed some landscaping that was too close to the house (keeping moisture there).
The problem didn't come back until yesterday, but I am not worried right now because of the crazy amount of snow and ice we had all over the roof, gutters and sides of the house. As that melted and we got a ton of rain yesterday, it really had nowhere to go.
This spring we will get new gutters and finish the landscaping at which point we hope the problem is gone for good. In the meantime we just run a dehumidifier when this happens!
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| Posted 1/19/11 10:08 AM |
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Chatham-Chick
*********************
Member since 5/05 10311 total posts
Name:
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Re: Water in Basement Arrgh!
Posted by Megs4
Posted by Goobster
I think this snow/ice is extreme this year, with gutters not being able to do their jobs with all the ice on our roofs, gutters, etc. I would not make any decisions based on this.
Do you have alot of snow/ice on your gutters/roof?
I agree with this. When we first moved into our house we got a little water in our basement after the first big rainstorm. After that we got up on the roof, cleaned the gutters and then removed some landscaping that was too close to the house (keeping moisture there).
The problem didn't come back until yesterday, but I am not worried right now because of the crazy amount of snow and ice we had all over the roof, gutters and sides of the house. As that melted and we got a ton of rain yesterday, it really had nowhere to go.
This spring we will get new gutters and finish the landscaping at which point we hope the problem is gone for good. In the meantime we just run a dehumidifier when this happens!
Considering there was evidence of previous water damage, the OP may have an existing water problem. Now is the time to find out where the water is coming in and then see if there are any solutions.
I say this as someone who has been battling water problems for the past 10 years.
We've:
-replaced the roof (did ice sheeting 4' up)
-new gutters and my DH is very particular about blowing debris off the roof and cleaning the gutters regularly
-solving drainage problems (we didn't add a drywell like other neighbors, but our drainage is far enough away from our home.)
-changed grading
-no landscaping at the moment (to be done this spring) - I could say that's a non-issue, but sometimes tree/plant roots help absorb some of the water.
-had 3 sump pumps in the basement (used to fill with water until we changed our drainage & grading. Now they're bone dry with cobwebs. We now only have 2 sump pumps as we filled in 1. We're getting ready to fill in another.)
We still have water problems...water coming in through the foundation seams/cracks....which will mostly likely (or rather hopefully) be solved when we grind down the existing paint and re-seal with a waterproofer.
We started to work on an area that never had water only to discover we did have an existing water problem after all...a problem that a sealant can not fix. (too in depth to get into.)
That's why it's so important to figure out where, why/how the water is getting in.
A little water that you're unaware of can turn into a bit of mold very quickly. And we all know the damage a lot of water can do.
Message edited 1/19/2011 10:31:30 AM.
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| Posted 1/19/11 10:12 AM |
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MarsB
LIF Adult
Member since 11/10 1456 total posts
Name:
Martha
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Re: Water in Basement Arrgh!
We're getting water in the basement now too. It appears to be coming up from the ground b/c the walls are dry and the wet spots are not under windows. We just bought the house in Nov, and the inpector claimed it was a "dry basement". I'm not sure if it's just due to the snow and rain, or if it's going to be a constant problem. It's very frustrating, but DH said we should wait to see how often it happens before calling anyone in.
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| Posted 1/19/11 11:13 AM |
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Megs4
LIF Adult
Member since 11/08 1619 total posts
Name:
Megan
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Re: Water in Basement Arrgh!
Posted by Chatham-Chick
Posted by Megs4
Posted by Goobster
I think this snow/ice is extreme this year, with gutters not being able to do their jobs with all the ice on our roofs, gutters, etc. I would not make any decisions based on this.
Do you have alot of snow/ice on your gutters/roof?
I agree with this. When we first moved into our house we got a little water in our basement after the first big rainstorm. After that we got up on the roof, cleaned the gutters and then removed some landscaping that was too close to the house (keeping moisture there).
The problem didn't come back until yesterday, but I am not worried right now because of the crazy amount of snow and ice we had all over the roof, gutters and sides of the house. As that melted and we got a ton of rain yesterday, it really had nowhere to go.
This spring we will get new gutters and finish the landscaping at which point we hope the problem is gone for good. In the meantime we just run a dehumidifier when this happens!
Considering there was evidence of previous water damage, the OP may have an existing water problem. Now is the time to find out where the water is coming in and then see if there are any solutions.
I say this as someone who has been battling water problems for the past 10 years.
We've:
-replaced the roof (did ice sheeting 4' up)
-new gutters and my DH is very particular about blowing debris off the roof and cleaning the gutters regularly
-solving drainage problems (we didn't add a drywell like other neighbors, but our drainage is far enough away from our home.)
-changed grading
-no landscaping at the moment (to be done this spring) - I could say that's a non-issue, but sometimes tree/plant roots help absorb some of the water.
-had 3 sump pumps in the basement (used to fill with water until we changed our drainage & grading. Now they're bone dry with cobwebs. We now only have 2 sump pumps as we filled in 1. We're getting ready to fill in another.)
We still have water problems...water coming in through the foundation seams/cracks....which will mostly likely (or rather hopefully) be solved when we grind down the existing paint and re-seal with a waterproofer.
We started to work on an area that never had water only to discover we did have an existing water problem after all...a problem that a sealant can not fix. (too in depth to get into.)
That's why it's so important to figure out where, why/how the water is getting in.
A little water that you're unaware of can turn into a bit of mold very quickly. And we all know the damage a lot of water can do.
I never said not to try to determine where it was coming from - I agreed that a decision shouldn't be made after just the one incident and said that it might not be as bad as you think.
Of course determining where the water is coming from is a good idea. I just suggested that it may not be a regularly occurring issue so to not "act now" to pay someone to deal with it or invest in a solution until you know how often the water is an issue and under what circumstances.
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| Posted 1/19/11 12:24 PM |
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Chatham-Chick
*********************
Member since 5/05 10311 total posts
Name:
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Re: Water in Basement Arrgh!
Posted by Megs4
I never said not to try to determine where it was coming from - I agreed that a decision shouldn't be made after just the one incident and said that it might not be as bad as you think.
Of course determining where the water is coming from is a good idea. I just suggested that it may not be a regularly occurring issue so to not "act now" to pay someone to deal with it or invest in a solution until you know how often the water is an issue and under what circumstances.
I'm not arguing with you, so I hope you don't take my posts the wrong way. 
I guess in my mind, frequency is irrelevant. Once is enough for me. If I see evidence of it once, that means it could happen again. "Small" water problems may not be a big deal if you have no intentions of finishing your basement AND you're aware of it (and you know it's not causing any damage such as mold or rot), but many people think they solved their problem, finish their basements and then can't see the damage from those "small" continuous water problems. It's not until it becomes a big problem and destroys your finished basement. So now you've wasted money on finishing your basement and you have to spend money on trying to figure out and hopefully solve the problem. Many folks thought last March brought us "unusual" water problems, but here we are again a year later.
Can you tell I'm frustrated with our water issues? 
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| Posted 1/19/11 12:34 PM |
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