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basement reno concrete - water issues

4K views 2 replies 2 participants last post by  Tony2000 
#1 ·
Hi Everyone,
Here I have a basement ready for a reno and i'm needing to address the concrete slab. as you can see by the pics there are some spots where moisture is coming in. I believe these to be small cracks at the seam of the slab and wall. I believe the problem is a couple of things, the grade of the yard sloping toward that corner of the house, crack forming after 70 years and no VP under the slab. I'm going to address the grading issue and possibly put a sealant on the outside of the house while I have things dug up. My questions are:
1. can I seal any of these cracks on the inside in the mean time (the black you see is my experiment with unsanded grout i had left over - it actually made a bit of an improvement!).
2. what is the best way to avoid water vapour seaping up from the concrete floor. Should I use a silicone sealant, poly vinyl or both?

btw, the water coming in is only on one side of the house.
 

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#2 ·
...and those are cement block walls. Correct?

You won't stop the leaks from the inside. There are products that make the claim but the true results are arguable. The only people that insist it works is the people selling you the products.

You can slow the moisture migration for a time but stopping it totally and permanently from the inside isn't very successful.

Unsanded grout would be nothing more than a stop-gap measure for a time. If the grout you used contains polymers or latex that is what is making the difference but it isn't likely to last.:)

Major improvements can be made outside with landscaping alone. Seal-coating the exterior of the walls would be helpful but you may not be able to close the wall/slab juncture completely.

Where's the water table?:)
 
#3 ·
...and those are cement block walls. Correct?

Where's the water table?:)
No, the walls are poured concrete.

The water table is about 7 inches from the slab right now. I know this because I broke it open to install a bathroom. This is the probably the most wet time of year. I has been raining for weeks, so considering the age of the house and the grade going toward that corner of the house, the water coming in is not bad (i guess). We've been living here for 4 years now and it has never flooded.

I agree, the unsanded grout was a wildcard. I tried it just because it was lying around. I went to HD today and picked up some Quikrete Grey Concrete Crack Seal. We'll see if that works. I'm hoping to address the grade issue in the spring, but I still should get the cracks sealed too.

I also picked up some "Xypex concrete sealer by cyrstalization" to deal with any water vapour that comes up through the floor. I've never used this product before but I hope it will prevent moisture buildup underneith any flooring that's put down. I'm thinking engineered wood.

any suggestions are much appreciated.
 
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