# Cinder block wall moisture



## SeniorSitizen (Sep 10, 2012)

Heat the sun room to a point that lowers the dewpoint temperature so moisture doesn't form.


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## chiraldude (Nov 16, 2013)

You need a moisture barrier between the cement and the drywall/carpet. 
There are several ways to do it but a rubber membrane is often used.
The issue is how much water is coming through. If too much, the vapor barrier will prevent it from evaporating and it will puddle and lift up the membrane. 
How is the drainage around the outside? Does water pool against the block when it rains?
If that is the case, you would need to fix that first with a drain system and/or landscaping that slopes away from the foundation.


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## mark sr (Jun 13, 2017)

How about a pic or two showing the other side of the wall.


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## shawnawrites (Dec 4, 2018)

I'm trying to figure out how to reply correctly. I'm new on here. I hope this goes through to this thread and I'm not starting a new one. I'm really trying to resolve the problem and I'll try to explain what I think it may be and maybe someone can tell me if I'm totally wrong lol. 

I have a fireplace and a fan on it right now. (One of you recommended heat) The carpet I had to clean last night because it was horrible smelling (guessing from moisture) when I was cleaning up the drywall, I realized the carpet was wet, so who knows how long. If it wasn't new carpet I'd probably rip it up and I may have to. There's still a patch I can't get dry. 

I'm thinking maybe I have a bunch of issues. 
1. The flashing or whatever its called is wrong in the corner of the roof. I paid someone to fix it this summer. I am trying to read up if I can patch/fix it with it snowing. 

2. The cement blocks weren't sealed correctly. So it's allowing the moisture to build. 

3. My crawl space is in this room (I bought it already that way) and that may be done wrong and wetness is getting into the area. 

4. This room was a garage before the previous owners made it into a sunroom... meaning built on cement. I asked the carpet installers if that would effect my tile and carpet. They said no. I still wonder though. 

5. Maybe the sunroom windows are leaking? Despite the roof guy sealing those all over again. I didn't think they were still leaking, and I never redid the ceiling yet. I'll try to send more photos now. 

So, am I close? I don't want to fix the interior until the problems that caused it are resolved.


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## shawnawrites (Dec 4, 2018)

More photos


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## shawnawrites (Dec 4, 2018)

...if I should post more, let me know. One wall is connected to my bedroom. The other wall is regular wall that to the outside.


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## Gymschu (Dec 12, 2010)

There could be any number of reasons you have moisture in that area. Where to start? Wow. I can honestly say I've never seen a downspout located near a window/corner like that. It's a recipe for trouble. If that gutter and/or downspout gets clogged (and they always do) you will get an overflow of rainwater that could easily get in through that window area and pool around the block causing issues. Somehow that needs to be redone or at the very least, check it for clogs/debris and clean it out.

As mentioned in an earlier post, make sure the soil located near the exterior block is tapered and sloped AWAY from the foundation. I would get rid of the mulch for now and see exactly what's going on with the soil there. Some tell-tale signs of trouble are gouged out low areas where water has pooled.

Since this room is on a slab, it's never out of the question to get moisture migration up through the slab. If it were that, you would have damp carpet padding and carpet. That doesn't look like what's happening though.


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## shawnawrites (Dec 4, 2018)

Thank you. I'm going today to Lowe's to start this. It snowed a couple days ago and the water started dripping in. I can see where one leak is coming from. I was told the way that the previous owner did the gutter was wrong... he has them sloped. I never even thought about it being near my bedroom window.


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## Nealtw (Jun 22, 2017)

You best roll that carpet back and dry it out or the whole thing will be lost to mold.
that wall need a perforated drain and a solid drain to take the downspout water away from the house the drain needs to be below the floor level at least 10 or 12 inches.


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## shawnawrites (Dec 4, 2018)

The previous owner has it piped (I'll show what I'm saying). Plus I am going to get a water pump. I was told that I can't put one out there until summer... is that true? I have the hole dug, outer part in, and was just putting a pump past in but, was told it would freeze and destroy the pump. Is that true? Anyhow... here's the sort spout system. It comes down from the gutter, into an elbow PVC, then a long PVC, around the back side of the house, all the way around. The roof guy broke some clamps to hold up the gutter, and I'm going to have my son tar some areas I don't think the roof guy properly did.


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## shawnawrites (Dec 4, 2018)

I'm sending these. ...it's the reason I initially got a roof guy, that he fixed, but after it leaking in a new spot, wet carpet, and wall. I started taking walls down. I came home from a trip to find new leaking and wet carpet.


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## Nealtw (Jun 22, 2017)

But no gutter over the window so the dirt there is absorbing all that water and you have splash up on the walls. 
Freezing is about depth and how much insulation you can tuck under the lid. 
I would dig a bigger hole for the sump and remove some dirt like a trench along both walls so surface water can run in that direction. Drill hole in the sump so water can get in anywhere and back fill the sump with 3/4 crushed stone as well as these sloped areas. If you want to cover the area again cover the grave with fabric and then dirt. Set your pump up so that it would be easy to lift out when it gets cold. you don't have to pump frozen water. But you do have to watch when the snow starts to melt to get it in and running again. 


Will it is freezing out you monitor the pump and see if it freezes.


Our frost depth is only 18" so our water lines are that deep but the meter is in an open box with a lid and they never freeze and once in a while with some poor calculations when the driveway is done they are not deep enough, they just put a couple chunks of foam board in the box and all is good.


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## shawnawrites (Dec 4, 2018)

I did everything you said to prepare for the pump and will be putting the pump part in tonight. Also had my son tar the roof near the skylight windows and the flash part. He put it on thick because I'm hoping it won't happen again. Then, fixed problem areas with the gutters, today I've been painting on mold killer, then after that, I'll go on to the cinder blocks by filling in any cracks. Last, I have a paint on sealer. I won't put up walls until it pours hard and I can check everything. I'll also put in a new carpet pad. I'll show photos...if anyone sees something wrong in the photos please let me know...I need to make sure this is done right and affordable.


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## shawnawrites (Dec 4, 2018)

The tar part. It doesn't look pretty, but the roof guy did it and it still leaked so, its thick.


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## shawnawrites (Dec 4, 2018)

The gutters. The house is for the pump.


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## shawnawrites (Dec 4, 2018)

It started leaking after the roof guy was finished. Unfortunately, we hired a handy man for that job because that's all we could afford. He had references for him on previous jobs. He did the whole sunroom roof, with the main focus being the skylights and a corner (flashing I think its called) . So, he did this part of the houses total roof. It didn't work I guess or created a new leak. So, this weekend My son got up on the roof and did the thick tar and redid the gutters. Last night it rained. (I'm in Michigan). we found a new leak, so this weekend we are going to tar some more. I found a lot of mice droppings when I had my son start ripping the ceiling out more because we heard the new leak. I am going to have to check the other side of the house that has an attic to see how they are getting in. This room (sunroom) doesn't have an attic though, so I have to figure out where they are getting in at the no attic side. So, gross and frustrating. We also found a cold return was detached. That part of the living room with the attic so, I'm guessing somehow they got in through that. We had fiberglass roll for insulation before demolishing. do you think that's a bad thing/ or type of insulation to have in this situation of no attic/sunroom and weather conditions? It seems my supposed cement moisture has turned into a nightmare...new gutters, tar, walls, ceiling. Thanks for all your help. I really took all the advice and have learned a lot so far. I consider it a win to find all this leaking before I adding new drywall.


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## shawnawrites (Dec 4, 2018)

Photos of the new leak and cold detached return, mice stuff after I cleaned the fiberglass insulation up.


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## shawnawrites (Dec 4, 2018)

I wanted to say thank you. I had a new roof put on. The flashing, tar, vents, hole all contributed to the issue. Now, I'm dealing with the inside repairs. This group and participants really helped.


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