# filling existing concrete block cells



## md2lgyk (Jan 6, 2009)

Water intrusion is best fixed from outside, not inside. Is the grading around the house proper? Are downspouts directed away from the foundation? Is there any waterproofing material on it? Those are what I'd check.

Out of curiosity, where exactly do you live in KS?? My wife is from Hays, and we lived for a time in the Salina area.


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## joecaption (Nov 30, 2011)

Trying to fill the block is useless.
Some pictures of the outside may be of help.
Outside of foundation should have been waterproofed before back filling.
May need a french drain, Google it.


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## Master Brian (Apr 24, 2009)

I understand that water intrusion is best fixed from the outside, which is why I sealed the driveway to the foundation with cement caulking as well as pouring concrete between the door pad and the driveway. 

The problem is there isn't really much to take care of outside. The footings are barely a foot deep in every wall that touches the outside in this area. I've built up the ground in the only area where there is dirt to help divert the water away. 

There is a slight chance I've somewhat fixed this. I have been moving concrete block into the basement to build a retaining wall on the North side of this stairway and I had a 4x8x16 block laying on the door slab right next to the door on the higher side of the slab. I'm wondering if this created a dam that trapped the water allowing it to come under the footing in this area. The only problem I have with this theory, is that even though the soil/gravel was damp right inside the foundation there, it didn't seem wet anywhere else between that point and where the water is pooling. 

Another thing that may or may not be related, is I noticed a GFCI right in that area is tripped. I pulled the over off the outlet and it was dry inside, I pulled the sheetrock away in a small area by the outlet and it was dry as well. Could just be a bad GFCI and thus a coincidence, as I haven't seen any water by any of the other outlets.


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## Master Brian (Apr 24, 2009)

I think i found the source of my water leak. The wall where i patched a while back with hydraulic cement had settled years back and though most of the joints had been re-tuck pointed where the settling occurred there are two joints that were filled with foam. 
This wall T's into the wall whare the leak was. In any case the joint filled with foam is where the footing sank about 1-2" from the block above. This is just below driveway height and when i cleaned out the foam, i could see the cement caulk i had installed from the outside. The footing also is about 1/4" gapped from the wall it intersects. I believe the water was soaking in, finding it's way down into the block wall and leaking out. 
Now the fun part is figuring out how to best fix. Not sure if i should tuck point mortar into the joint, cement caulk or hydraulic cement. I'm also wondering if i open the joint back up outside and fill from there as well or if filling from the inside will suffice. 
I also wonder what kind of cavity is now under my concrete driveway in this area. 
Any suggestions? 
I'll try to post a picture tomorrow.


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## stadry (Jun 20, 2009)

waterproofing's done from the positive ( exterior ) side,,, water leak management's done from the negative ( interior ) side

am curious about 1 term you used - what is 'cement caulking' :huh: ? ? ? sealing crks has been 1 of my work items for 35 - 40yrs & i never heard the term used previously


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## Master Brian (Apr 24, 2009)

This is a bad mortar joint on the interior side of the structure. Due to driveway on exterior i can't repair on that side easily. 

Cement/concrete caulking is probably a mis-name, I'm referring to the stuff sold in a tube, similar to caulking tubes, to repair cracks in concrete/mortar joints. Sorry!


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## GBrackins (Apr 26, 2012)

and just a FYI, concrete is not waterproof, water can pass through it.


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## carpdad (Oct 11, 2010)

Just a guess, but underground water leak doesn't stop with obvious (what you can see) plugging. If water can't travel one way, it will find another way. 
I think you are adding a block wall there? I would at least add a french drain along the length there with a sump. The pump can be added later if you need it.


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## Master Brian (Apr 24, 2009)

I realize water can pass through concrete, but my hope would be that it would take the path of least resistance, which would be down the driveway and not into the wall. 

The drain idea is good just not sure how I'd accomplish that in this area.


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## Master Brian (Apr 24, 2009)

I am adding 3 images. The 1st should be looking from the inside. Notice the hammer laying inside the joint between the block and the footing. This gap goes almost all the way to the outside. It was filled with foam and I dug it out, I will fill it with hydraulic cement or mortar, depending upon what is the best idea to keep water out. In the exterior picture, I am showing that same block, but i sealed a small crack along that joint with concrete repair stuff in a tube.

If you notice on the exterior picture the east wall is smooth faced block. That area was added at a later date as that used to be a side porch with entrance, it's now a box out for the kitchen. 

The wall labeled east wall on the interior picture would have at one time made the corner connection with the rough faced block on the exterior picture. Hope that makes sense. This same wall goes all the way to basement floor, which is about 4' lower than the area in the picture. Both sides of this wall are essentially inside the structure and it's at the inside bottom of this wall I keep finding water.

What I think was happening is that where I filled the crack on the exterior, water was coming in, hidden by the foam, I pulled out, then going into the 1/8-3/16" crack between the footing and the east wall, soaking down the wall until it finds what I'm guessing is a bad joint buried beneath the fill dirt. It is most likely then filling the blocks and soaking out at the base of the block.

As you can see in the picture, being as the driveway meets up with this wall, I can't easily install a drain, there is no where to put one and wouldn't likely solve the issue. I need to find a good way to seal up the cracks, fix the missing mortar joints and basically stop the water from coming in.

On the interior, I plan on trying to dig the fill dirt out and see if I can find the buried fault in the block. Then using either hydraulic cement or mortar, I'll fix the bad joint(s). I'm not really sure of the best way to fill that small crack where the footing pulled away from the east wall. I'm trying to decide if I drill a hole into the crack, then force as much of the concrete crack repair (in the caulking tube) into the drilled out area until I get it squeezing out all around and hope for the best or if I try to shove (i.e. tuck point) mortar into the joint. I'm going to have my neighbor come look as well, but I want other opinions. 

Once all of that is complete and I've dug down to find the bad joint in the wall, I will likely try to pour new concrete under the footing to stabilize it and help create a new barrier to keep water out in the future. 

Any other suggestions? 

I'm sure this will be an ongoing maintenance issue with making certain the joint between the driveway and the block is kept sealed. I might also take some hydraulic cement and form a small curb (think cove molding out of cement) all along that connection. At some point in the future, I might have to have this section of slab cut out and re-poured with a better slope to keep water away....right now it's a bit flat and I have a gutter nearby so water is always flowing around that area.

I'll also add that it appears that at some point, this wall settled , which is why the footing dropped as well as some of the block. The block I'm pointing to is apparently built into the east wall, which is why it stayed put.


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