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franklin
04-04-2009, 10:41 AM
Hello
I own a 1951 cap cod style brick house with a 2' stucco curtain around its base. The basement walls are cinder block and rest on a footer.

Water enters the basement mainly at one corner of the wall/floor juncture(grading could be better above this area).

But all the walls have efflorenscent stains, even along the top blocks in several areas. Never witness water running down inside any of the walls, no cracking, and no movement of any of the blocks. But obviously water is penetrating the upper blocks. Had 8 contractors visit and all proposed an interior perimeter drain with weep holes to drain the blocks. One mentioned sealing the brick, claiming that water penetrates through it and works its way down into the basemnet walls. Will this system drain the upper blocks and if so will it prevent future erosion of the blocks?

Are there outside measures I could take besides grading and downspouts to keep water away from the walls besides a total excavation?
What about flashing materials attached to the base of the house, extended out several feet, slopped, and landscaped over--- do any such materials exist?
I was thinking of something like a pond liner but don't know how I would adhere it to the house.
I also considered laying stone and pipe a few feet down and pitched around the house. Or maybe I could asphalt the back and side of the house and lay a drain in the front?
I appreciate any help!!!

Barkri12
04-22-2009, 11:26 PM
If your basement is wet and damp there is hope to remedy the problem. Moisture or water in basements comes from two sources. The major culprit is ground water which is the water from the exterior getting into the basement. The second and less severe is high humidity levels in the basement that form condensation and water vapor. Ground water that soaks the soil on the exterior of the home can easily find its way into the basement. Water can infiltrate the basement though holes and cracks in foundation walls or cracks in the basement floor slab. Water can also enter through porous foundation block or brick walls, most of the foundation walls are made of concrete block which have natural pours and cracks that can allow water to seep though. Solid concrete basement foundation walls are much better in keeping water out.
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