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jules/basement
Jules08:
Concrete is so porus that it can get waterlogged and eventually leak into the basement. When we finished our basement we put a primer down on the floor that was a pressurized sealer so any water that was being soaked up couldn't pentrate the top surface.
We also had a leak at the bottom of the concrete block wall. We patched this, used a waterproof primer and sealer, and then painted over that.
This is what I was hoping to do and be able to call it a day (plus some silicone sealant where I think the leak is). We don't plan to finish it anytime soon (if at all) so we'd have some time to see if we need more. Is that nuts? C thinks it is cutting corners, I think its being frugal and not overspending without need.
Next we regraded around our house so that the ground sloped away from the walls, helping the water to drain away from the house.
Lastly, we extended our roof gutter drains away from the house to 4 feet.
The house is surrounded by driveways, one of which is the neighbor's. I took a look and it is reasonably well graded. We are going to get ours repaved next year so we can grade on that side then. The gutter on one side is piped to the front of the house, and I'm thinking we can do the same on the leaking side (neighbor's driveway) to help as well.
If you don't already, you may want to look into adding a sump pump / drainage tile system. That will help tremendously. We have a sump pump with a back up on the side ready to go should our main fail.
The other thing would be to trench away from your house and see that the first 3-4 feet of the wall is sealed and wrapped especially if the water coming is is fro mthe surface water.
I'm planning to get quotes on a sump pump. Would that work for seepage though? My big concern with this is drainage tiles would require regrading the whole basement (it slopes inward slightly, the result of settling I am sure), and I'm not sure if that is worth the $$. Same for the trench/wrap (which is what C wants to do). Besides that it would require tearing up half our driveway (and the neighbor's), it seems pretty drastic. I'm 99% sure it is not wrapped given that is a 1928 house, but I'm really hoping to be able to solve this internally...
ETA: I am reasonable sure I know where the water is coming from. There are three tiny (1/2 inch or so, one with a weed growing in it) holes at the seam of the neighbor's driveway and the basement and that's clearly the wet spots on the walls inside. I was hoping to be able to seal these from the inside & outside and then use some kind of waterproof paint over the whole basement.
Re: jules/basement
Seems like you've thought it all through - go you!!
One question, did the previous owners disclosed having water in the basement previously? If not, you may be able to hire an inspector to determine if there ever was and the cause / location. The previous owner may actually be responsible for the cost of the fix.
Let's ignore that for now though...
I think I would go with your plan first to patch and seal on the inside. I don't think it's nuts to do that first and then take a "wait and see" approach. What it will do is help you to fix the areas that you know to have issues and to determine if they are more problematic than they are appearing to be right now.
We started with the patch and seal, then a year later is when we regraded. The pressurized sealer fixed the water that seeped through the concrete floor and the patch held, but we wanted to take that extra step just in case.
It sounds like the water is minimal so to start with something as costly as the other options might not be worth it. Like you said, the house was built in 1928 and has settled. I think the minimal water is a really good sign.
Since you mentioned that the house is surrounded mostly by driveways and they are graded fairly well, then I would look at the area between the driveway and the house, can you fill and seal that? With any house movement, you may have to look at that every few years too. Then when you repave your driveway, you can make sure it has the right grade and seal to your house as well.
the house is an estate (we haven't closed yet) so no disclosure to speak of. To make it more fun, the estate was left to charity, so there's no even a family member (at least not an involved one) to hit up for info.
I'm glad you agree with me though
I just need to convince C. I think when we price it all out she'll go for the wait-and-see approach. Considering we had record rains in August BEFORE Irene, I think the basement is in OK shape!
Do you know what kind of sealer you used (brand I mean)?
Oh I see! I bet that's hard when you are just trying to get more information especialyl in this situation, though I am sure it has it benefits too!
Good luck trying to convince C. Maybe just explain that you want to try a few things first to narrow down what might be at the root cause. If you can fix it on your own, great! If not, at least you won't get stuck spending $$ on one thing and later find out you needed to do another and end up spending more $$.
For the sealer we used TrafficMaster Basement Proofer from Home Depot. I can't remember if it left the floor tacky though, It might have. I would go to Home Depot (or similar) and ask them for direction on the product(s) to use. They'll know what you can try!