How to Stop a Leaky Stone Foundation - Basement Waterproofing
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- Опубликовано: 19 июн 2024
- Stone foundations (also known as fieldstone or rubble foundations) are notorious for water leaks, and many are over a hundred years old. We have found stone foundations outlasting modern foundations by a long shot, and there is a way to make them last a lot longer. American Dry Basement Systems' uses a Step-Out installation method to maintain the foundation's strength. It stops groundwater from making its way onto the floor and prevents mortar joints from eroding quickly between each stone in the wall.
00:00 Intro on Waterproofing Stone Foundation
00:20 Past attempts to waterproof stone walls & floor
02:03 Step-out System Solution
02:40 Stone Wall Construction & Mortar
04:11 Perimeter Floor Removal
05:50 False Footing to Prevent Undermining
06:59 SuperCrete & SuperSlurry
08:54 Sump Pump & Oil Tank Pad
11:28 Closing Statement
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Since 1997, American Dry Basement Systems has been waterproofing basements, encapsulating crawl spaces, installing sump pumps and battery backup systems, and repairing foundation cracks in basements throughout Connecticut & Southeastern New York. Our mission is a simple one. We ensure that every customer that installs our basement waterproofing system will be water-free for life.
Keywords: American Dry Basement Systems, basement waterproofing, crawl space waterproofing, Peter O'Shea, sump pump installation, foundation crack repair, carbon fiber reinforcement, crawl space sealing, home improvement, french drain, basement waterproofers, basement waterproofing installers, sump pump installers, contractors
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My parents’ old house had a stone foundation, and the basement leaked like a sieve when it rained. Dad tried everything, wish you were around to help him out eighty years ago.
American Dry Basements is providing me with a free inspection and quote, and I can hardly wait!
That looks like an incredible amount of work...... good job 👏🏾
Love watching your work and explanation
You guys blew mind. This was so helpful.
This channel has such wonderful information. I wonder if anyone in NH does this kind of quality work.
Thank you for the video, amazing work !
You make very great educational videos, explaining things very well. Great production as well!
Very good work. Looks like a super expensive project. BUt overlall good work
Thank you so much for this video. Merry Christmas. I am doing my whole stone 1854 blue limestone with some bonding agent and type S. I leaned a lot about my foundation with your videos. HVAC guy trying to mason as best as I can.
Happy holidays!
I have stone foundation in my 1830 colonial, been scared to touch concrete floor thinking it would destabilize wall... Water comes in with big rains. This video greatly describes how to work around it. Great video!
The best way I think is to address the water drain path from the exterior. You can use things like french drains or even sump pumps on the exterior to reduce the water that touches the wall in the first place.
Great video
I just want to say thank you so much or taking the time to educate us new owners of old houses. I feel like you've saved my house as I just had a contractor come in and say he wanted to drylock the bluestone foundation walls. It sounds like the exact wrong thing to do, based on this and another one of your videos I watched. The basement is frequently wet but it looks like your solution is the appropriate one.
I appreciate your kind words. I am glad I can help in some way.
Where can you buy that flow channel
I wish you worked in West Virginia! You know so much
Thank you so much! I've done exactly as on the video and has got the great result. Unbelievable!
Fantastic! Glad it helped.
Very enlightening. We have a stone foundation and whenever it rained water would find its way into the basement through the bottom of the stone wall. We had it waterproofed but now we have rodents burrowing their way into the basement and eating through the plastic drain. I can only pray that there is a solution for that issue. We never saw that one coming.
What a treat to watch
Thanks for Canada
Our pleasure!
Another great video! Would love to see a video with a brick foundation Victorian-era house basement repair.
I agree. Next time we do a brick basement repair will do a video.
nice video here. Very informative.
Glad you liked it!
This is really coold.
Great video! I'm on the CT shoreline very close to the water and we occasionally have isues with a high water table, so the water comes up from below the slab. How would you tackle this issue?
Awesome personality☆☆☆☆☆☆
Thanks
Great!
Helpful, I too have an old farmhouse in pa with a stone foundation, unfortunately my house sits by the road and the 6 acres all slopes down to my house so when it rains little or alot my basement floods or at least is very wet, sometimes with 6-8 inches of water depending on the amount of rain.. I've tried everything from adding dirt around the outside of the house to building berms in the yard to direct the water but nothing helps, it even comes up through the cracks in the floor.. I don't know what to do but the video was helpful
I'm sorry to hear about your problems. You have something that needs a closer look by a waterproofing professional.
Great video, can you provide an idea of the costs for this video's project?
Great videos and love the way you do drainage. Problem is I need you and you don't service Ma or Nh. Do you have any companies that you would recommend in that area?
No, sorry.
Great video! Learned so much.
How do you feel about bentonite injections in soil for a stone foundation house?
Not very good. Bentonite injections fail because they require meticulous coverage. Most contractors will not work that hard for going rate. Better to apply in sheets on the exterior foundation wall during home construction, but still years down the road a leak can come in through the cove joint. Run the other way and don't get it.
Great explanations here, thanks! Do you recommend using washed stone over the drainage pipe, or is unwashed stone sufficient?
Washed stone is preferred but unwashed is sufficient.
Great post! We have a hand made sun fired brick wall from 175yrs ago. Would we need to also I set the drain tile to minimise undermining? Any thoughts helpful. We are in Central Virginia. Thank You.
Treat brick the same as stone. Install subfloor drainage system 4 or more inches away from the wall.
Good video as always. I just have one question, where is the check valve?
Ours is attached right on the sump pump before discharge pipe is attached. Works beautifully.
Hi Peter, where do i get the Superslurry product you use on the walls to stop the efflorescence?
I wish you added cost for then. It would help understanding the scope
do you service Worcester MA? what would you do with stone foundation on ledge? not comfortable DIYing this project.
intersting
All the videos you post has helped me so much on picking the right system. I wish you guys were able to service upstate ny because I would hire you’re company
Maybe one day!
Subscribed
Is there any reason you only apply your slurry a couple feet up the wall? Is it cost, confidence or any other reason like allowing higher concreate to breath still?
I have a 1903 flagstone basement with a poured 5ft retaining wall in some area's.
Thinking of applying crystaline mix all the way up the 5ft retaining wall. (Already have interior drain and sump)
This is a good question
Nice video! I have 2 bedroom home in Kansas with a half basement Its about 800 square feet. This house was built in 1921 and it does not have a footing under the cement walls and it looks real damp all the way around the bottom and smells musty. It never had a drain system. It does have a few places where it looks white on the walls. Where can I get your bubble drain wrap and your slurry to cover the basement walls? I'm doing this project myself since I'm retired.
I have the old basement floor out and its all dirt now. Is gravel and rebar a good choice as a base before pouring the new floor over the new drain system you showed on your videos? What kind of gravel are you using for the drain system? Can I get the super create at any lumber company?
Our supercrete and superslurry is not available anywhere. It is proprietary mixture we make ourselves to use exclusively for our customers. Look online for crystalline concrete mixes. Use 1/2 to 3/4 inch crushed stone. Watch this video: ruclips.net/video/_7Ly63FdrfQ/видео.html We cover an entire crawl space with our supercrete without rebar. Owners say the space is drip dry and smells great.
@@AmericanDryBasementSystems Thank you for the information!
My basement looks like this. I am in Massachusetts do you have any referrals?
That's a lot of heavy labor. I'm wondering if you'd use this same system when the stone foundation that's leaking is entirely underneath surface grade. In other words, some of the foundation is underground and water seeps through almost the whole wall. When that happens, your system would only be a partial fix, because the water coming through the wall will wreak havoc on the mortar and ruin the wall above the drainage system. Imagine water pressure so high that half way down the wall you have water spitting out, almost like turning on a water hose.
We’re considering this solution for our 1834 farmhouse in the CT River Valley. Question-how is large water volume managed during storms when pump is down from power outages? Would addition of a generator be necessary or is there another fail safe option, like an overflow outlet available?
You have the option of getting a portable or stand-by generator. If you already have one then you are good to go. The simpler solution is a battery backup unit. It activates automatically if water is high in the sump basket and the power is out, or the gen is not working. No worries about gasoline, propane or maintaining a generator. Depending on the amount of water, one battery (you can add more) can perform for 6 hours continuous, or 160 hours if it turns on every 5 mins.
Why wouldn’t you want to dig from the outside and excavate 6ft repoint all the holes in the basement, run footing drains along the home? That way water isn’t corroding the basement overtime. Any tips would help ❤
@@ketts928 Cost is the reason this isn't usually done with stone foundations. And if the foundation wall is in rough shape, taking the soil away from it can put in at risk of collapse. As they used to say in Old House Journal, Just because something hasn't fallen over yet, doesn't mean it won't.
And there is a lot of complexity. To dig all the way around the foundation means, you will need to get under any decks or porches, possibly tear up part of the driveway, remove any stoops, so you need to walk up a plank to get in and out of your house. It is a very big job.
Looking forward to having you guys in to take care of the water in my basement
This is really cool. I can't do it myself but now I at least understand the way it should be fixed. How do I find a good company that knows how to deal with stone foundations? I live in Canada. I just don't know how to find the right people. Also, how much should a project like this cost?
A good place to start would be documenting your as-built conditions and detailing the foundation drainage system similarly to this one and get the scope of services documented and solicit several bids from a few contractors.
I live in WI can you recommend a Wisconsin company?
Cool
The water runs on the backside of the plastic footing?
This is what we need in our stone foundation house
Did it work?
Great informative video! Two questions: 1) Won't the dirt from the footer eventually get into the perforated drainpipe and possibly cause problems? 2) Why not use lime mortar between the stones? Thanks so much!
Dirt from any footer or sub surface terrain will enter drainage pipes. It is more of a matter if the pipe is designed to self-clean by moving slit to the sump basket and carry it away from the house. The stones should have lime mortar between them. Lateral pressure from water is unforgiving even if you apply fresh lime mortar. It is best to stop the pressure. No cracks, no leaks, no wetness.
If you wrap the pipe with Geotextile that will filter out a lot of the soil entering the pipe in addition to the stone.
Very informative video
I live in France in a late 1940's house with some weird concrete as foundation and basement wall
Lots of sand and fist sized round rocks with little in between size wise, it's called "crasse" here( dirt from not cleaning up is the best translation i can come up with)
But i live in a rather damp région and would like to waterproof it and repair the damage my father made by DIYing a wooden room with 5minutes craft level skills
In the New England area of the US, many older homes with stone foundations were built with similar craftsmanship as the ones found in Europe. You have to get a mason in there to give you proper advice. The mason may suggest filling gaps and crevices in the wall with type N mortar cement. You may need type S for a sandy mortar to adhere better. The new mortar can reduce or eliminate moisture penetration. The addition of a properly installed waterproofing system around the interior walls will always keep water from building up outside. Outside pressure from water build-up causes the bulk of foundation problems. Check outside drainage too. Surface water could be a problem too. It may come in through the sill plate. Good luck.
@@AmericanDryBasementSystems thanks
Your videos are very informative. You mention cold joints regularly, so when building a basement from scratch, would a cold joint be between the slab (floor) and the erected walls? How can one prevent this as the slab needs to dry before the walls go on?
Yes. You are correct. A cold joint (also known as cove joint) is between a slab and a wall in a monolithic foundation. In a three-piece foundation (most popular), cold joints are between the footer, the wall and slab. You cannot prevent cold joints during construction. Monolithic foundations reduce the number of cold joints, but that doesn't mean it is any better at preventing water from coming in.
@@AmericanDryBasementSystems oh dear. You have definitely opened my eyes to this. I tried navigating your site, would you have best practice basement build plans? I would love to get your expertise.
God bless you and the team on amazing workmanship!!
@@justice007willprevail Your best bet with new construction is to prevent the water from coming into the basement in the first place. Best practice is a good external footing drain wrapped in a good filter fabric to prevent silting up. A dimpled membrane that gives an actual air gap between the foundation wall and the soil, that leads all the way down to the footing drain, and then that drain's got to go out to daylight some place. In really flat areas the drain pipe can be sent to an external sump basin with a pump, usually ejected to the street to be picked up by the storm drains.
Great informative video! I have a old 1900 farmhouse on a stone foundation in PA. Water does flow into the basement in some areas during heavy rain. I was told that is normal for an old stone foundation and to not worry. The water does flow out and the sump pump is running well so we don't have standing water. I do get worried as this is my first actual house. Your videos are the most educational that I have seen. Thanks!
Sounds just about right. Excellent.
The only way to actually seal a stone foundation is to excavate and tar it, and then install a external French drain when filling in sides, like a new house is typically done.
This isn't always practical, especially when in a more urban area, and costly unless you do it yourself.
The solution in this video is the next best option, and if you wanted finished basement, you could also run a sheet of plastic hanging from the joists, behind the studs, running down and behind the waffle board.
@@ThePTBRULES sad but true
I also have an old stone foundation farmhouse in PA, I learned that the foundations are typically two walls of stones tapering inward towards the top. I plan on repointing using Natural Hydrolic Lime 3.5 (from Lancaster PA).
I stop water on old stone foundations, it's not that hard to do just hard work. Anyone can do it if you don't mind some hard work. I did it 12 years ago and then bought an old house and did it again. My first time was 22 years ago but I didn't do the entire basement the way I did the next 2 basements.
Nice job! Is there a reason you use the corrugated drainage pipe instead of the rigid PVC with holes in it??
Corrugated, perforated, double-wall drainage pipe is self-cleaning with a pitch, able to install one continuous length, easier to install, and doesn't require clean out ports. Never had a complaint in 25 years.
It's cheaper of course. .. perforated PVC more durable and better to use in my opinion .also maybe installing some inspection clean out ports so lines can be flushed without having to dig back up the crush clogged corrugated . Just a thought . Also run a saw cut for a straight line when breaking out as it looks nicer for finishing concrete. Just jackhammering looks like a hack job . And yes I do install these.
@@leethorne1484 I am from the Bahamas the code says you must have a vent for the catch Basin, all of these videos I saw NONE,
What if your stone basement is pretty dry but is subterranean (below the grade)? Would you still put in the pump? I think I could get by with just resurfacing the mortar on the stone.
Just resurface the mortar. No need for any sump pump.
Hi, is there any way to buy this super slurry product or is there a similar Crystaline Product on the market? Thanks
No, sorry
I have a stone foundation
Just had it repointed haven’t got water except this last crazy storm just a little bit
Putting a French drain in and finishing the basement
What’s your take on spray foaming
Should I run the dimple mat all the way up the wall
Don't use spray foaming. Run dimple board or a vapor barrier all the way up on the wall and make sure it is tucked into the french drain system. Stud out the wall, then install foam boards/insulation over the vapor barrier, in between studs to finish the basement.
Does this type of system work for terra cotta basement walls? I have a company looking at my basement and I asked how far down are they going to set the drainage system - they said 4” deep. Is that deep enough? They use 4” pvc pipes
Yes. 4 inches is not deep enough and a 4 inch pipe will not be enough to handle flow volume.
Looking to smooth my interior basement wall and still keep it breathable (not waterproof). Any recommendation on materials?
Possibly a mortar mix type S.
The black pipe that you use alongside the walls into the sump does that have holes to let the water in? I know it is a dum question but am just trying to figure out how does the water enter into the sump?
Not a dumb question. Many people ask. There are two versions of corrugated pipe we use. One with holes and one without holes. The one with holes goes inside under the floor to the sump pumps. The one without holes we use outside direct discharge water to a stone field, dry well, or a nearby stream/pond.
Just wondering if there is a benefit to putting the drainage system on the inside vs running a weeping tile on the outside of the foundation wall? If you were to allow water to run down through gravel to the footing an be collected, would it prevent water from getting to the stone?
A properly installed interior system can guarantee a dry floor and for a fraction of the price. An exterior system is very expensive with a limited guarantee. The installation is very intrusive, must remove part of driveway, front door entrance, patio, walkway, landscaping, and decking to install.
@@AmericanDryBasementSystems that all makes sense, thanks!
So what if you have a high water table and the water is coming up through the cement floor
Wow, looks like something you can bang out in a couple hours, haha nice job
Would this work for a brick foundation as well?
No. Brick walls are a totally different thing altogether. Your foundation is actually using either stone, block, or poured concrete walls. Bricks are never placed on the footer only in front or on top of one of the three types mentioned above. The brick may have to be removed to properly install drainage.
I'd be interested to know why there was no filter fabric used around the french drain pipe... isn't there going to be dirt ingress and eventual clogging of the french drain? I know soil types in certain areas likely dictate this. It would see in the midwest we would always wrap the french drain pipe.
Filters by nature are meant to be changed. It's hard to change a filter underground. They slow the flow of water over time and end up not doing the intended job. Our drainage pipe is pitched to move water quickly over the corrugated ridges inside removing dirt and silt. They never get clogged. Never had a customer complaint in 25 years.
@@AmericanDryBasementSystems This is a great response. Most posts, videos, and forums express the need for fabric for clogging reasons. I am over in Stamford and looking into options for our basement. After researching I am wondering if you have any concerns of soil moving through the gravel and into the self cleaning pipe, leaving the walls to slowly loose soil from underneath them after decades (say 30-50 years) and possibly causing the structure to twist. Have you seen that happen to field stone homes before from waterproofing?
@@Cdeath27 I'd be interested in hearing about the risk of soil loss too.
Your super slury is cement and a radonseal liquid mixed together right?
No. It is proprietary. Only for our customers, not available for purchase.
What kind of cement do you use to put in the walls to help seal off the stones?
In most cases, fill gaps and crevices in the wall with type N mortar cement.
@@AmericanDryBasementSystems thank you.
Do you need any kind of degree or trade to get into basement waterproofing.
No degree is required unless you are looking for an engineering contractor to reconstruct your foundation. Trade skills include electrician, plumber, and concrete contractor. Make sure you hire someone with a long track record and an even longer list of happy customers.
15 years in this 1900's home with a mix of field stone and brick foundation. Only ever had enough water to clean up with a paper towel, if needed. This year we have had several rain events with about 50-100 gallons of water. Found 3 spots where water is pissing through the joints between the field stone. Seems like it would bypass your drainage boards tucked up along the wall, and still flood our basement.
Is there a spray, glue or tar that will SEAL the interior wall?
I'm not sure why you assume water would bypass the drainage boards along the walls. Did you watch the video? There is more going on under the floor to maintain dryness. This particular house, through several major storms, has not flooded once with our system installation. I would never suggest any of the options you listed to seal the walls. Repoint them with the proper cement.
@@AmericanDryBasementSystems I never intended to attack your work, the system you installed or your reputation. I was only mentioning a recent event I had in our basement where the water was coming through mortar joints, in an arch, that would have made it pass your installed board and onto the floor. It was not trickling down the wall, it was spraying out. Sorry to have confused you.
Sorry for the misunderstanding. You have to tackle the hydrostatic pressure outside your walls. Your mortar joints are giving out because of the way groundwater has routed to your house. Do you have curtain drains outside around the house? They may be clogged. Unclog them. It will help tremendously. An interior drainage system will definitely resolve the problem depending on the grade outside your house. Sealing or repointing mortar joints will only be temporary. All the best.
what if it leaks from the middle of the wall down in the cellar, Can you fill the crack with tar inside on the wall. the crack is 3/4 of the way up it is up around 5 feet. or so.. the crack is around 8 feet long..it only poors in when it really poors..
Do not use tar inside. Use type N mortar to seal up gaps between stones. If the walls are bowing or stone is falling out call a structural engineer.
Someone had painted our rock foundation white, I'm wondering if the super slurry would still be affective?
Superslurry does not work on painted mortar around the stone.
Doing the same method as this video. How deep should my trench be?
Did you ever end up doing this to your basement @nikinappz?
As soon as I scrolled to skip all the talking to the 704 mark and seen the Jack hammer 🔨 I was like nope this isn’t happen not for my little crack lol😅
Super crete huh? 😂 Good stuff broski. Take em when you can get em.
What did they do for 200 years before this?
I'm looking at a 150 year old cottage built with slate. This might be just what the three sided basement needs..
Mmm.. maybe the flow will get to mine soil as it run behind the waffle material and go under plastic and mix dirt in the gravel. Maybe a plastic layer under pipe and gravel for long term survival of aggregate?
I'm an amateur mason and was able to completely stop all water in a very leaky stone foundation 12 years ago on my very first try and still to this day no leaks. It is not that hard to do.
Then you really didn't have much of a water problem.
Do you only do work in CT?
We work in CT, also Westchester County and surrounding areas in southern NY.
I just bought a house in CT, and man should I have kept looking before I come in to this one. I need this so bad but I'm sure I cannot afford it.
Do people still make stone foundations today? Would they cost more than concrete? I'd love to build a brick and concrete house, with metal framing and a stone foundation.
It is rare finding new construction with a stone foundation today. It takes tremendous skill to build one that will last for many decades. When they are constructed properly they can out perform poured cement or block foundations easily. Today, many of the exterior stone-like foundations on new homes are stone veneers.
@@AmericanDryBasementSystems I wonder how a hybrid wall would perform, putting stone into a casting wall with a some rebar behind it before pouring concrete into it and getting a concrete finish on the inside and a stone finish on the outside. I wonder is this would even work and if it does would it be worth the effort and cost? perhaps an engineer might know.
@@AmericanDryBasementSystems Why do they outperform cement? Is it because cement cracks eventually?
NEED YOU TO WORK IN WEST KY AND TENN OR REFFER ME
Thanks for reaching out. Sorry, but Kentucky is not in my backyard. I don't know anyone in your state. Just avoid anyone doing anything differently than the way I do it for a stone foundation. I wish you the best of luck.
How wide is your step-0ut?
Usually 6 to 12 inches. No less than 4-inches. It all depends on how the builders placed stones under the wall.
👍
Isn't that sump pump going to need a check valve?
We attached a silent check valve directly onto the sump pump discharge port. It works beautifully.
Shouldn't that stone foundation get lime mortar and not concrete?
Actually both. Lime mortar is usually mixed into cement mortar to improve water retention. Water can be very acidic in our area, and as great as lime mortar is at resisting water it does leach out in acidic soil. Our Superslurry can eliminate that problem altogether.
Would this work if your basement is completely underground?
Cause it’s coming in from the bottom of the stone foundation and in the middle of my slab I’m guessing it’s cause of the hydrostatic pressure from the side pushing it to the middle of the house?
We have done many stone foundations that are completely underground. In some cases the severity of deterioration of the stone foundation mortar and movement of stone may be the culprit. You will need to re-mortar or rebuild part of your wall first. Our system is designed to remove lateral and floor hydrostatic pressure.
Seriously ... no coupling between the sump pump and the PVC?
agree.Pump fails instead of quick replacement now must cut pipes.
There is a coupling attached between the check valve and pipe. Easy on, easy off.
2:21 flow channel
I wish i could afford something like this. I had a waterproofing company quote me 20k to do something similar
I was quoted $17k to put in a partial French drain and then concrete about 1,000 sq ft. I decided to do it myself. I have dug out the French drain. And cleaned out the basement. Next is inserting the corrugated pipe and stone.
Dirt and debris is going to fill that drain
You must have had a unskill contractor install yours and it didn't work out to make that comment.
Wouldn’t that drainage plastic allow vapor to come up in to the basement
Not really, in most cases. We did a dew point test at several installations, and our system is efficient enough to not require a dehumidifier.