Basement is dry, but porch leaks

T Diddy

I have a floating slab over my storage area in the basement. It rests in a steel pan which acts as the ceiling to my basement. To my understanding, there should be a membrane of some kind (like a shower pan) in place to keep the basement dry. Well, that apparently was never installed. When the wind blows the rain sideways, any water that collects on the front porch rolls on in to the basement...not good.

How can I fix it?



*The caulk between brick and concrete was added as a temporary fix*
Above:


Below:

AGWhitehouse

the water comes in via that caulked crack? Or is it being wind driven through the brick face at the front?

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joecaption

No clue why any builder would ever think it these things would ever work out. Everyone I see leaks. Most people just block it off inside the basement and forget about it.
There's really no good way to stop the leaks.

AGWhitehouse

The problem is in the brick. My father's house has the elevated concrete slab porch, but the concrete was extended to 1" past the foundation face. Only sealer was applied to the finish surface. No membrane and no leaks after 12 years now even when he brings out the hose to wash the porch down...

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T Diddy

Thanks for the replies...I'll try to get some more pics posted later.

T Diddy

That makes sense...if the slab had an overhang, the problem would be diminished. However, seeing how there is no membrane/liner/flashing/etc., water could still enter at the back of the porch.

Here are some more pics...

Front Porch:


The top of the poured wall is above grade, and the downspout is channeled out through the backyard...pooling water at grade level is not an issue.

The water rolls on in here:


here:


here:


and here:

CplDevilDog

Same problem at my place except even the corrugated steel was omitted. 40 years of water intrusion and the steel lintel supporting the brick veneer is rusting away.

Not sure how our Real Estate Agent's pet Home Inspector could have missed that

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AGWhitehouse

The joint of brick to concrete along the outer edge and that control joint in the middle of the concrete slab are where your problems lie. I don't believe the brick wall interaction causes the bulk of the issue. They should have counter flashed at the brick wall, not put in the sidewalk style control joint, and carried the concrete slab over the top of the brick. From what I'm seeing, the "right" fix would be to remove and replace the whole lot...

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AGWhitehouse

Or you could enclose the porch to make a 3-season room...this will help to keep bulk water off the porch system and you could incorporate flashing over the brick along with the wall system.

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T Diddy

Thanks for the replies, I'm going to talk to the builder about it and see what he has to say...it was his idea to caulk it initially. I'm curious to know what his idea of fixing it will be this time.

T Diddy

both, to answer your question