[eddytheflow]

so i've got problems with a wet basement, it seems like the majority of the water is leaking in from one wall, and it seems to be because of the lack of mortar between the bricks.

as you can see from the image.. well no mortar really, and a lot of the water comes from that hole on the bottom right that was apparently "remedied" via foam spray.

anyways, i've never done this kind of fix before, should i just use hydraulic cement? or is there a better more effective way to do it?

also, my neighbor brought up the "simple" solution of just pouring in a bag of quikrete and spraying some water at it.

suggestions? this is pretty new to me.. thanks!

 

[oh'mike]

I think that removing the bricks ---cleaning up the footing and relaying them might be the best solution.--Mike---

 

[eddytheflow]

thanks mike.
i'm wondering how possible it is to actually remove all the bricks?
the area is in our small basement, underneath the stairs.
i think i could manage removing a few stairs and hauling the dirt out, but when it comes time to remove the bricks? do i remove them all (structurally safe?) or one by one, or what?

here's another picture of the area

 

[oh'mike]

I think the adjoining walls will support the door opening while you work----Pull the stairs--remove whatever you must.

It would be easier to judge if I was actually there. That looks like an old house.

Casting a concrete wall might also be an option.

 

[eddytheflow]

hehe, since you can't be there how about a lovely video tour?
hope that helps at least a little...

and yep.. 1880 house.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nqWbso3_bCI

so would you say remove all of the dirt, then the bricks, clean everything up and then piece them back together, with mortar?
i've never laid brick before, not sure about the skill required for such a task... thinking maybe about just pouring concrete in there.
is tuck pointing something i could do? (not that i know how to do it)

 

[stadry]

if you can get all that work done, the water'll STILL be there - you just won't be able to see it causing further damage,,, if 'out of sight, out of mind !' is acceptable, go for it,,, otherwise, find the source of the wtr & fix that !

ps - anyone can tuckpoint - what's significant is 1, can you do the work properly at a decent speed; 2, can you make any $ doing it for a living; & 3, how long will your work last !

 

[oh'mike]

It's to late for tuck pointing--that's cosmetic--your bricks are loose.

 

[eddytheflow]

hmmm i think the source of the water, as seen in the video, is outside in our backyard.
i'm likely going to need to dig up some brick and dirt in the backyard to add a french drain to prevent water from coming in.
am i getting ahead of myself by tackling this project before the source?

also, could you point me to more information mike on how to go about removing bricks and then relaying them? didn't know that tuck pointing was purely a cosmetic operation. is there a name for what i need to do?
thanks again

 

[oh'mike]

It's just called laying bricks----Not to difficult to do--doing it neatly takes practice but neat isn't to important under the stairs.

Tools are simple and cheap,too. A pan to mix the mortar--a masons trowel--a pointing tool--

U tube must have a lot of videos---Mike--- Do figure out where the water is coming from and channel it away.

 

[eddytheflow]

thanks
sounds like i need to dig up my yard first and do the whole french drain thing.
oh another day and another thread i guess.