Any advise on the following problem is greatly appreciated.
Moved into this new house a year ago. I already knew there was some water coming in, but we thought it wasn't much, and only coming in from one spot. Through the months, found water coming in from the side of the house as well as the front of the house. As a solution, I had the front and side waterproofed by digging down to the foundation (exterior), re-concreting the exterior walls, coating with tar, and the finally covering with a quarter-inch to half-inch rubber membrane. All three components were placed on the wall and overlapped the flooring at the foot of the foundation. All seemed well until this particular heavy storm we were hit with here in New York.
Ok... so, no water from the front of the house, but water still coming in from around my fireplace. I can't pinpoint the EXACT spot the water is entering the house from because the flow is very slow (can't see it flow, actually). But, its steady, and if I let it go for about 8-10 hours my whole basement will have about a quarter-inch of water. I know its coming from the side wall, but that's it. The walls are cinder blocks, built in '63, and you can see basic cracks in the foundation. But, no water coming from those cracks, as the are higher in the wall. Seems the water is getting in from the bottom.
The exterior of the house has the chimney from the fireplace. Could the water be getting in either from the chimney hole on top, or maybe on the side where the caulking seals the chimney to the house (cause the caulking is pretty much gone)? Or, could the concrete on the chimney have become porous and allowing water in?
And, here's another question...
When I moved in, the basement had a carpet down. Under the carpet was that hard tile (vinyl, I think). Well, looking at the fireplace, which I believe was added to the house instead of built with it, it seems that they never removed the tiles and carpet. There's the tile, then a carpet on the tile, then a clear plastic cover and then the brick fireplace was built right over it. Is this normal? Could this be a cause for the water problem?
Sorry for the long thread, but would appreciate any and all help!
Moved into this new house a year ago. I already knew there was some water coming in, but we thought it wasn't much, and only coming in from one spot. Through the months, found water coming in from the side of the house as well as the front of the house. As a solution, I had the front and side waterproofed by digging down to the foundation (exterior), re-concreting the exterior walls, coating with tar, and the finally covering with a quarter-inch to half-inch rubber membrane. All three components were placed on the wall and overlapped the flooring at the foot of the foundation. All seemed well until this particular heavy storm we were hit with here in New York.
Ok... so, no water from the front of the house, but water still coming in from around my fireplace. I can't pinpoint the EXACT spot the water is entering the house from because the flow is very slow (can't see it flow, actually). But, its steady, and if I let it go for about 8-10 hours my whole basement will have about a quarter-inch of water. I know its coming from the side wall, but that's it. The walls are cinder blocks, built in '63, and you can see basic cracks in the foundation. But, no water coming from those cracks, as the are higher in the wall. Seems the water is getting in from the bottom.
The exterior of the house has the chimney from the fireplace. Could the water be getting in either from the chimney hole on top, or maybe on the side where the caulking seals the chimney to the house (cause the caulking is pretty much gone)? Or, could the concrete on the chimney have become porous and allowing water in?
And, here's another question...
When I moved in, the basement had a carpet down. Under the carpet was that hard tile (vinyl, I think). Well, looking at the fireplace, which I believe was added to the house instead of built with it, it seems that they never removed the tiles and carpet. There's the tile, then a carpet on the tile, then a clear plastic cover and then the brick fireplace was built right over it. Is this normal? Could this be a cause for the water problem?
Sorry for the long thread, but would appreciate any and all help!