How to Waterproof a Basement | This Old House
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- Опубликовано: 20 окт 2024
- This Old House general contractor Tom Silva solves soggy basement problems and shows host Kevin O'Connor how to waterproof a basement. (See below for a shopping list and tools.)
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Shopping List for How to Waterproof a Basement:
waterproof masonry paint, used to seal interior of foundation walls
hydraulic cement, used to seal cracks and holes
bucket, used to mix hydraulic cement 4. Flexible down spout extender
4-inch-diameter PVC pipe, used to connect downspout to drywell
drywell
Tools for How to Waterproof a Basement:
paintbrush or paint roller, used to apply waterproof paint
putty knife, used to mix and apply hydraulic cement
shovel, used to dig trench for PVC pipe and hole for drywell
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How to Waterproof a Basement | This Old House
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I had high amounts of water entering my basement when it rained or snow melting after a snow storm. I was so stressed out and didn’t know what to do. I started doing a lot of research on the internet for ideas.. Ex. Crumbling foundation, leaking sill plate etc. I honestly went outside my home and took a walk around the house. To my surprise my gutters were flowing over with water and some areas when it was heavy rain would constantly have high amount of water hitting against the house. I cleaned my gutters, reattached the gutters that needed to be fixed, and bought the extendable parts that connect to gutters to lead water away from house. My cement basement has NEVER leaked water ever again. (First time home buyer, lesson learned)
Chan Chan unless you have a crack the water from the downspouts will never enter the home. Sounds like your drain tiles are either clogged from the inside or the dirt/clay has caked itself around the outside. They are draining just enough water to stop groundwater seepage but the added water from the roof/downspouts was too much. Kudos on taking care of the downspouts but don’t be fooled into thinking the problem is solved. Water will always drain down, and while you can get dampness from water hitting the walls, a good clean drain tile will keep it out of the basement. Pay attention to the bottom row of block or the bottom 4 inches of concrete (whatever type of foundation you have). If you still see efflorescence then your days/weeks/months/years away from the drain tile failing. The downspouts are just step one
Mighty Mike thank you for this tip! I definitely think your right. I don’t know much about this stuff but I feel lit in my gut that, cleaning and getting water away from house was a temporary fix. Can you suggest anyone??
Chan Chan I can only suggest local people in my area. I’d never suggest a contractor unless I’ve seen their work. I think you’re safe for now if you don’t see standing water anywhere. The biggest faux pauxs I can say to avoid are painting the walls or using a system that a) has no warranty and b) charges a yearly fee for a warranty. Avoid those and it really doesn’t matter who you go with or what they do. No matter what system you use, never store items you care about in cardboard and if you finish finish the basement, use materials that won’t grow mold. Follow those tips and you can rest easy.
Mighty Mike Thank you for your advice! If you don’t mind me asking, what is your skill set?
Currently work as a carpenter. My grandfather was a mason for a very long time and I spent a lot of time on job sites with him growing up. I wouldn’t consider myself an expert over a structural/geo technical engineer but I’ve seen my fair share of foundations
Not one mention of hydrostatic pressure. Your basement floor is a "floating" slab of concrete, the walls go around it like a jacket but there is a seam along the outer edges. Water comes in from that seam. If you seal it out, there will be pressure buildup and it will come in theough foundation cracks in the middle.
One of the biggest lessons from physics 101 is you can stop the water. If you hold it back youre going to increase pressure. You need an interior french drain into a sump, pumping that water out and away from the house.
Also, a french drain on the outside that pushes water away from the house before it ever gets in.
I've been in my home for 30 years and the prior owner left me with a leaky basement. From the walls not the sewer. They did end up paying for B-Dry to waterproof my basement. They do an excellent job. 30 years and no leakage from the walls. The executor of the estate I purchased my home from is a very honorable man. I was very lucky! My home is in Michigan.
Marie Apple how much did it cost if you don’t mind my asking? Having issues here (in Michigan as well)
B-Dry did a good job for you? I am in Michigan also with a leaky basement
Last solution was the best solution
This works! keeps the water out without EXPENSIVE HEADACHES; hundreds in materials; under $2k with everything. ruclips.net/video/cBN6xzfyoAg/видео.html I've spent thousands, dug down to foundation, add 3 layers of protection & LATER found a way that cost HUNDREDS in materials plus some labor. MESSAGE ME for DETAILS.
Hello
I have a question…
I got rid of the ceiling tiles in the basement and while doing that, I realized the tiles near outer walls had water marks and that wall has a flaked paint and some big and small bubbles of paint …
My question is… can I use hydraulic cement there? I don’t know where to start to figure out the leaks from outside… as we have steps there
My basement wall is damp from the floor up to about 18 inches. I have cracks and holes in the dry area above the base of the wall.
My 1930 foundation is mortar and stone.
Should I use hydraulic cement to fill the cracks and holes in the dry area or is there another product for that?
Hi, I have a basement well from the late eighteen-hundreds when it rains my basement fills with water coming from that well how can I feel that would concrete and make it stop.christine Bayer.
Question? Shouldn't the basement be water proof from the outside?
No underground
Yes
My basement was flooded during Henri this past August. My house is 24 years old....I dont know if have French drains. I need to know if i have French drains and how to waterproof my basement. i have concrete slabs with a seam down the middle.
Couldn't you buy some PVC, like 3" drill holes into it and make yourself a drain tile? Dig a trench filled with your drain tile and gravel for a French drain. Pretty easy to build and not too expensive compared to a ruined foundation.
What if the house has a raised/rubblestone foundation with a crawlspace? We have the typical dirt crawlspace, but previous owners dug an area about 15' long x 3 feet deep x 3.5 feet wide and surrounded it with a mortared cinderblock wall. They put the water heater at the upper end and literally just dug a hole and threw in a pedestal pump at the lower end. When it rains, water comes in from the surrounding dirt and goes through the wall. Other times, the sump hole itself...water flows into the sump hole only from the area under the sump hole itself. Underground springs? Just water pressure from the surrounding ground? No one seems to know how to properly fix/waterproof that.
Jesse R install an interior drain around the crawlspace perimeter then encapsulate the crawlspace with a thick polyethylene sheet. Put an actual in-ground sump system for the new drain tile. There are companies who install drains made for dirt crawlspaces. Check online to see if you have one in the area. You’ll never stop water coming in through the dirt so your best bet is to let it come in then let the drain and sump send it away from the house
This works! keeps the water out without EXPENSIVE HEADACHES; hundreds in materials; under $2k with everything. ruclips.net/video/cBN6xzfyoAg/видео.html I've spent thousands, dug down to foundation, add 3 layers of protection & LATER found a way that cost HUNDREDS in materials plus some labor. MESSAGE ME for DETAILS.
What the product call?
When they built the high school I went to [Moore Public Schools - Southmmore High School; built in 2006-2009 by Oscar J Boldt Construciton LLC, opened in 2008] they didn't check the grade and so water leaked into the building when It first started raining the first year the school was open.
Waterproofing your basement is an investment you would want to make to keep your house in good condition and protect your family's health.
How about just fixing or getting a drainage system which is an actual permanent fix
@@AlMai222 If you're properly "waterproofing your basement", you are indeed putting in a drainage system to get rid of the water.
Is that drylok paint ?
drylok is good stuff.
Yes it is...however there is a product available now called Liquid Rubber that can also be used and a 5 Gallon Pail costs the same price as 2 Gallons of Dryloc...
@@jamescallahan3110 how do you apply this Liquid rubber and what brand do you recommend? Thanks
what is the brand and name of the paint sealer
Probably Drylok
Or Thorough-seal. But don’t waste your time or money. It’s a bandaid at best
This kinda doesn’t help me my basement is finished and my carpet is wet from rain. I have a lot of eroding in my yard.
I just moved into this brand new construction for a week now. My basement is having a leaking problem. I'm in Massachusetts. Anybody knows anything, please contact me
I have not much memory anymore, but I remember seeing a new product where the concrete blocks were laid in without mortar and this new product troweled on the outside of the wall. What is the name of this product, is it really used or did I imagine it?
Nope, not your imagination. The product you're talking about is "Quikwall surface bonding cement" it's a Quikrete product.
There's a video here on RUclips showing its use.
Here's the link:
ruclips.net/video/TAswNJyZjvM/видео.html
@@russellborrego1689 Thank you very much. Trying to learn new and more things. I have the skills to not just build my house, but I can design it too. Too bad I don't have a teaspoon of dirt to put it on. Thanks again.
@@justnotg00d, no problem. Good luck! 👍
Would quick wall work for basement concrete block walls?
0:37: "it's kinda like painting the inside of your pool". No, it is literally the exact opposite. I'm not an expert, but given that concrete is porous, water is making its way from the outside soil through wall until it hits the paint and then stops, building up an accumulation of water. In cold climates, that goes through the freeze-thaw cycle and can create horrible foundation damage... sound about right?
Waterproofing paints for foundations are a debatable topic. Some argue as you have said that it can lead to further issues, whereas others point out that the stack effect of a home or the negative pressure that sucks moisture and even radon into a basement is greatly diminished by a coating of waterproofing paint. So it’s possible in some ways that the paint may help prevent the wicking actions caused by an older home’s design. Newer construction often has a barrier installed on the exterior of a foundation before it’s filled in.
@@CharlesLeo That Charles, didn't think of it that way, appreciate the input.
Does anyone have a link to a video from this old House or anyone that is knowledgeable on how to address issues in an old 1790’s brick and plaster house, that shows the process of repairing efflorescence? In my case it is not in the basement but is coming from the exterior kitchen wall where moisture is seeping into the thick brick walls and causing cracking and crumbling in the plaster with the lots of white powdery salt residue coming on the interior walls , not just the exterior. Thanks in advance!
Research the web for Siloxane. The ONLY product endorsed by the Brick Institute of America to “waterproof” masonry walls.
@@bighammer587 Thanks!
@@bighammer587 Have you used Siloxane on basement walls? I am searching the web and considering this product rather than trying Drylok.
Epoxy injection for cracks first.
Ok mr journeyman master builder
Depends on the size of the cracks; the video's recommendation would be for superficial cracks, epoxy would be for serious cracks.
I need help with my basement
Me too
Just had a contractor that specializes in this offer a few options. Most of them involved digging and tearing up either the yard or the basement floor. Costing between 10 to over 30 thousand. But I also live on a high water table. He said drylok is useless and try using epoxy for the Crack. IT was like kick to my nuts
How did you proceed with this. Did you tear up you basement with sump pump and all? like iam being told to do or Did you do epoxy for cracks or something else?
@@anthonyrobinson973 Hi, I still haven't done it yet. I'm thinking of using hydraulic cement/quikrete. As of right now I bought 3 large tarps and placed those on the deck. The deck sits a above the basement window that was leaking. It looks trashy and hillbilly, but it works.
I had a similar issue in the early 90s. I got quotes from low 3,000s to high 5,000s then. The basement was fortunately unfinished, so they dug up about 18 or so inches all around the perimeter of my basement and put drainage tile leading to the sump pump. (the builder had not properly done that). No more problems. With a high water table, you can't effectively block the hydrostatic pressure. You have to give the water somewhere to go, to relieve the issue.
@@kwebster62did they go all the way down to the footer? Having issues as well got two sumps in my basement with an interior drain system that sits on top of the footer (water guard system it's junk) thinking I've got to do something on the exterior
@@MaDGriZz78 As I remember, it was next to/parallel to the footer. If it's sitting ON the footer, it's probably not doing enough. This video looks familiar. ruclips.net/video/wNkce9DYmlg/видео.html&ab_channel=CrawlSpaceBrothers
Everything they said in this video is a total temporary bandaid. You need to address how moisture and water gets into a foundation. Surface and ground water. Your walls will continue to crack and weaken over time unless you protect the wall on the outside.. your floor the same way unless you protect that from underneath
I would expect more from these guys. Dry lock paint is actually food mold can eat. This is a huge mistake. Never put that on your walls. You will regret the day you did.
Dry lock is food mold can eat... idiot.
@@TheGabrielberki i know multiple people who peeled the moldy dry lock off their walls. I am one of those people. It also can cause mold behind the drylock. Seen that first hand. The best way to deal with a wet basement is to give e the water and moisture a way out. Several systems do it well. If you maintain low moisture levels you wont have mold.
James Horrocks I did the nika a s
this product wont stop water
dear salam i am in pakistan plz answer me my old house brick wall down area tile up to 6inch to 30 inch completley seepage after 30inch to slab no seepage only flooring tile to 30inch seepage plz help me
The prophet Muhammad is a pig
I'm going to have Bath Fitter come out and fit my basement with a one piece plastic bathtub.
I LOVE IT!
This is very poor and unprofessional advice. You simply cannot waterproof a basement from the interior and anyone who tells you otherwise is selling you snake oil. If your basement is leaking you should check the grade of your property and make sure the gutters and downspouts are in working condition but even this is unlikely to fix your problem.
The only proper way to do this is by waterproofing the exterior wall and that can be quite costly. Sorry but there are no easy fixes for this problem. By the way, NEVER use Drylok and any such product on your walls as it will only serve to trap water inside the cells of your block foundation and make the problem worse.
@@HeadingForTomorrow Hi, yes you can paint the walls and many people do, particularly in unfinished basements, but before painting the walls I would make absolutely certain that the weeping tile system is functioning properly and the exterior walls have been waterproofed. Check your walls for efflorescence, any sign of this white powdery substance on your walls would indicate a water infiltration problem. Never paint walls if there is the presence of efflorescence.
What is the paint? They didn't show it
Dry Lok
Son of a Savage gotcha
Son of a Savage thanks
Okay, what about when water comes through the wall creating a crack?
ruclips.net/video/7zM_aecIT7c/видео.html
@@kalijasin lmao, best reply ever
Where is Roger?
With Jessica
That shit won’t work That is the lazy way to do it and it won’t work for an actual wet basement.
What will?
Ernestine Baird interior French drain with a sump pump. I waterproofed basements for 10 years. Then I broke my neck snowboarding. So that was it for me.
@@andrewchampy5222 are you ok now?Your neck I mean. . .
What a hack job. “Like sealing the inside of a pool” ...NOT at all the same! The sealer has to go on the “wet” side of the wall to work. And the dry well? No way would that work around here. The very reason for the moisture problem in the first place is the high water table. That buried barrel will sit there full of water with nowhere to go b/c of the water table. And the basement is still wet...
@@HeadingForTomorrow It’s called “standing water” when the ground gets saturated. Ponding water over the top of the so called “dry Well” will never work. Where is the water supposed to go? Without the use of a pump, the dry well is constantly full of water with nowhere to go. They may work in certain situations, such as where there is plenty of natural grade you could install drain pipe at the bottom of the well that could carry the water out to a location that is lower than the basement floor. But if your ground is flat, it’s a total waste of time.
The reason for the leak is not the high water table. They specifically said a "heavy rainstorm is causing the flood".
And drylok will stop a small amount of water migrating through the press of the concrete. For bigger leaks he said use hydraulic cement.
@@tomgnyc Exactly. Heavy rain is going to fill up the barrel also.
None
wanna know how to water proof your basement? buy or build a house on a hill. That’s the only true Fn way
Not true at all.
Why are you still building basements?
They’re great for storage, extra living space and really convenient for almost no added cost to construction
The other option for cold climate homes is a footed slab. If your doing a footed slab you may as well excavate the area to store utilities
BONAH!
Here’s a thought. Don’t build houses with below ground spaces. Add a story or adjacent utility building instead.
Some advantages to basements. Seasonal comfort, emergency shelter, less expensive additional living space, easier to do repairs on piping, etc. The primary downside is the potential for water. If you have it properly waterproofed, with sump pumps AND battery backup systems, you should be OK. I've lived in two homes with basements. Don't have one now, and I do miss the extra space and benefits.
@@kwebster62 Those are attractive reasons, but the negatives-humidity, mold, poor access, radon gas risks-outweigh the positives. If you need sump pumps to remove penetrating water, then the space is clearly not waterproof.
@@tycox8704 The sump pump is part of the waterproofing. The water is not penetrating the floor, as the tile is below the floor. If you're saying "waterproof" means 'zero potential for flooding or water', then I see your point. But even a house on a slab or crawl space has some potential for flooding. Houses on slab and crawlspace are also susceptible to Radon. Radon, like water, can be mitigated. I can only speak for my own experience: To me, the positives outweigh the potential negatives.
@@kwebster62 My point is that something is not waterproof if it requires mechanical assistance to divert the water.
The issue is the concrete itself and the seams. Factory molded foundation walls can use a special concrete mix that is non-porous, but the seams caulk will eventually deteriorate and allow water to seep in. Site-poured foundation walls can be coated in rubber, but that too will deteriorate. Ultimately, Additional expensive measures are needed to manage the water intrusion. And ultimately, the cost of a basement is more expensive than an additional floor level.