Basement Block Wall Repair Question

[EarlyPorsche]

If you guys haven't notice...I've obviously purchased a GEM of a home

So I just gutted the basement and the walls have some cracks and some issues. I plan on coating the walls in some sort of heavy duty rubber coating (like Blue Max or another Amex product) once I fix all the issues. House is from 1950 so these issues took some time to show up.

Main issues I need help with are in the pictures below. There are 2 pipes just coming through the wall. I should dig the other side and cut them, remove, and plug both sides. Right? I bought a tub of hydraulic plug.

You can also see some cracks here and there. How do I go about repairing those before coating the walls. Can I trowel in the hydraulic plug material before hitting the walls with the roll on rubber? Or is there a better way.

There are a couple other holes that I was going to just fill with the hydraulic plug material.

Mainly its the cracking that has me wondering what to do to repair. The walls are not wet to the touch but the land is wet and I plan on grading along with digging a trench/creek to pull water away from the house.

[stomachmonkey]

I think you need to worry about why those cracks are there.

Hydraulic cement is great for plugging holes that are nut under stress.

I'm no engineer but my guess is those cracks would likely just come back.

[Gogar]

Those cracks are there because the house moved like . . . 1/8". In 65 years. Not bad!



I have a foundation/basement very similar to yours. Seems like you're already aware that you're not really EVER going to fix moisture problems (if there are any) from the inside of the house. Like you mentioned, if you 'really' want to moisture proof the foundation it needs to be done from outside-in.

With that in mind the fix you do to the cracks is really only cosmetic, IMO. As far as the pipes coming through the cement well . . . That's a mystery! Has the cement been altered or patched around that area? Like . . maybe it was a modification or something?

I'd be tempted to leave it until you do some detective and find the other end of those pipes.

[Z-man]

While those pipes seem a little small for it, they may be pipes atatched to an old oil tank buried in your back yard. You can get a tank sweep done to see if that is the case.

If you do have an old tank, depending on your state laws, you may have to have it removed before you can sell your house. If that is the case, you beter hope and pray it was cleaned out and filled with sand before it was decomissioned. If not, and it has holes in it - the EPA needs to do all sorts of testing on your soil. If it is contaminated, you have a lot of costly remediation ahead of you.

If you still have a tank there - get it taken out sooner than later!

-Z-man.

[flatbutt]

Originally Posted by Z-man

While those pipes seem a little small for it, they may be pipes atatched to an old oil tank buried in your back yard. You can get a tank sweep done to see if that is the case.

If you do have an old tank, depending on your state laws, you may have to have it removed before you can sell your house. If that is the case, you beter hope and pray it was cleaned out and filled with sand before it was decomissioned. If not, and it has holes in it - the EPA needs to do all sorts of testing on your soil. If it is contaminated, you have a lot of costly remediation ahead of you.

If you still have a tank there - get it taken out sooner than later!

-Z-man.

yup...can be many thousands of $$$

[EarlyPorsche]

Z-Man - I believe the pipes are to an old old water well. I believe the tank was inside the basement before - it has been long ago converted to natural gas and they used a metal cap to fill where the oil fill and such came in from outside. These two pipes are on a different wall away from all the HVAC and just hanging out! So the house uses city water now. Where the two pipes are going is where the well was. No water is coming through the pipes but I was thinking maybe around them but there is a good looking amount of concrete so I guess maybe its fine from the outside and I don't see any water trails inside. I'll have someone take a look from the outside. But perhaps since they are there solid I could just do a proper seal from the inside with the hydraulic plug?

Gogar - In terms of moisture...I don't have any active water leaks. The floor just had a french drain installed around the perimeter by the seller. My thought was to fix the walls up with cement or the hydraulic plug and then rubber coat from the inside first. If necessary I could backhoe the front and possibly coat from the outside but I think grading the lot will take care of any remaining moisture. So other than a good cosmetic patch - what did you do before finishing the walls?

Heres a product I am thinking about...you put some down, put their proprietary tape down...then put more over the tape. You then cover all the walls. Since there are no active leaks I don't know if I would dig from outside in but maybe coat the walls and keep an eye out before we put up drywall?
Ames' Blue Max Liquid Rubber

[VincentVega]

coat from the outside

That's a much better solution long term. I'm surprised it wasnt done when the foundation was exposed for the perimeter drain.

[EarlyPorsche]

Originally Posted by VincentVega

That's a much better solution long term. I'm surprised it wasnt done when the foundation was exposed for the perimeter drain.

Now you have me wondering if it was coated from the outside...again I am not trying to stop any leaks just making sure its all coated and sealed before walls go up. I may have to coat from inside for now and do outside later in the year.

Any reason a coating on the outside in a couple months couldn't come second? I see that Behr Premium Basement and Masonry Waterproofer has really high reviews. Think I'm gonna go with that!

[VincentVega]

I'm not a pro but after doing similar work a few times I'm not impressed with the interior paint idea. I think it can trap water in the wall and then fail at some point in the future. I like the idea of exterior repair much better. If interior is the only option, dimple board to a drain is a permanent solution.

Good luck, this is never fun work.

[EarlyPorsche]

Thanks all. I think the start will have to be outside.

Any input on those foam peanut french drain corrugated pipes? I think burying that along around the wall would help keep water from going downward and into the wall.

[1990C4S]

Coat with tar, nail on the dimpled cover, and install a drainage weeper tube with a sock (which is covered in 1' of gravel.

The weeper needs to go to a drain or a sump pump.

[oldE]

EarlyPorsche,

You don't mention where you live nor the soil type around your foundation.

Noting the construction (concrete block with brick above the soil line?) and the fact you mentioned moisture in the soil, I would say your best course would be to:
Excavate around the perimeter of the house and install drain tiles to get the moisture away from the walls. Waterproof the wall as suggested above. If you are in a frost zone take the opportunity to add a couple of inches of rigid foam board to the outside. The object is to keep frost out of the walls and end the freeze-thaw cycle which, if that is the situation in your area has likely been the cause of the cracking and displacement of the bricks or blocks. If no frost, you are likely looking at shifting soils. Either way, it is best to get the moisture away from the wall.
Once the water infiltration has been addressed then you can finish the interior wall. Anything else is likely to be temporary.

Best
Les

[EarlyPorsche]

Im right outside of DC. Soil is clay but needs work to dry as mentioned.

Yes brick is above grade.

At the base of the wall when they did the perimeter drain they did that dimple stuff. But I would rather get the water away from the foundation.

I'd like to paint the wall from outside but I'm unsure that can happen...I may just try to dry out the ground around the basement and hope that does the trick.

Currently the french drain feeds an electric sump in the basement floor.

I should note that the walls are not wet to the touch. They feel fine so really by painting the inside I would not be stopping any leaks more like sealing out scent and probably some wicking?

[Porsche-O-Phile]

If you have water coming in (hydrostatic pressure) you will be able to permanently stop it from the inside. An epoxy injection might stop it for a while (few years) but the water will eventually find a new weak point and break through there.

To permanently fix it (if this is your goal - it might not be if you intend to sell in a couple of years) you need to excavate the perimeter and install a French drain and / or proper waterproofing membrane on the outside surface.

Sorry for the bad news but roll-on rubber products are just band-aids.

[EarlyPorsche]

You guys are right.

Since only 2 sides of the house are exposed to water I am going to dig both 12"x12" and run a french drain around the perimeter of those sides. Will also dig a drainage trench to start moving water way from the house. Finally, going to extend all the downspouts far away from the foundation. Hopefully these efforts do it for me.

Currently when it rains the perimeter drain pump has to pump. If I do this correctly that should not have to run any longer I feel.

[VincentVega]

Any input on those foam peanut french drain corrugated pipes?

I've used them a few times and thing they are great. More $$ but much simpler when compared to humping gravel in buckets.

[john70t]

Clay just a few feet below ground can funnel water from miles away.

Besides a perimeter french drain/sump, what about a 6' skirt rubber beneath, tied to the foundation, that which channels everything around and downhill?

[EarlyPorsche]

The perimeter drain I mention was installed below the concrete basement floor.

If I have to dig down 6ft I might as well go all the way and tar the whole wall. Really trying to avoid that if possible since I dont have any leaks in the walls. I do think its to my benefit to get water away and let the earth around the home drain before water gets down though.

[EarlyPorsche]

So per the boards recommendation we are going to coat the outside of the 2 walls that are exposed.

A couple questions:

1. once we're down to the floor level in digging - how do we wash the walls so they will take paint? Introducing more water to wash the walls seems bad?

2. How do you prop up the dirt so it doesn't pour back into the dug trench around the house?

3. What brand coating and membrane do you guys suggest?

[rusnak]

I would probably get some opinions of consutling civil engineers in your area. It wouldn't hurt to understand the soil too.