# stop water from leaking into basement?



## USP45 (Dec 14, 2007)

I know you dont want to hear this but here goes.
Never fill in cracks from the inside. Contrary to belief cinder blocks do deteriorate when soaked with water for long periods of time. Always from outside. Now me, I would get a back hoe, dig down to the footing, pressure wash the block, then fill in any gaps with cement, then apply tar from the footing to 6" below grade, next apply heavy duty plastic sheeting to the tarred walls, letting the bottom go across the ditch and about 1' up the other side creating a bowl, then at the bottom add 6" of gravel, then 4" drain tile which surrounds the house making sure to have about 1/4" per foot fall, then run the end of the line out to low ground or a sump pit, then back fill with gravel, then top soil, and thats about it. Its expensive yes, but sure fire, yes.


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## Just Bill (Dec 21, 2008)

What USP suggested will work, but is expensive. 90% of basement water problems can be corrected by better grading around the foundation, directing water away from the house, and gutters/downspouts that do the same. The other 10% is high ground water that needs more radical solutions as suggested.


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## njhomer (Jan 21, 2009)

Thanks for the information. I believe our problem is caused by a spring under our house because the water rising is constant, also we had asked a local contractor about the water so he installed the pump for us. What would be a more radical solution to solve a high water table? Is it possible to control the amount of water that comes up? It would be nice to have a source of ground water for drinking.


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## Ron6519 (Mar 28, 2007)

njhomer said:


> Thanks for the information. I believe our problem is caused by a spring under our house because the water rising is constant, also we had asked a local contractor about the water so he installed the pump for us. What would be a more radical solution to solve a high water table? Is it possible to control the amount of water that comes up? It would be nice to have a source of ground water for drinking.


You could have a well dug if the water quality was okay and the amoumt of water from the well made it worth the effort.
You will not stop the water from coming into the basement from an underground spring. The best you can expect, is to control it. The sump pump should also have a battery backup.
Ron


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## sjeffries (Jan 26, 2009)

*Need help w/grading issue to stop wet basement!*

I recently finished my basement. It is dry for the most part, but gets a small amount of water at the base of the block wall after heavy rainfall. I really need to protect my investment, so I need some help. The water is only leaking through 1 wall and the grading on this side of the house could use some work. The issue that I have is that at ground level, I've got an 18" slab of concrete surrounding the foundation. There a small crac between this and the foundation that I recenly caulked. Should I just grade the dirt right over this slab or install some sort of barrier first before I grade?


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