(OT) Sealing my basement.

[PIZ]

I'm assuming it leaks because there is a gap or something between the walls and the floor. It is an older home (50 yrs) but the basement is in pretty good shape. I've tried using Fast Plug Hydraulic Cement, but it is going to take quite a few cans to go around the entire basement. What is the best way to seal the water out? I do have some waterproofing paint, but I wasn't sure if I should go ahead and use the Hydraulic Cement around the entire perimiter of the basement first.

 

Just so you know, this will be my Buffalo Bills Room and I can't really get started on it until I remove the water. It's not a ton of water, it just kinda slowly leaks in.

 

 

Also, anyone with kids know of a good baby gate that my 2 and 4 year old wouldn't be able to un-lock? We try to keep them confined to a certain area when they wake up, but they've figured out how to get it open. Now they wander the house without waking us up and they've put the cat in the oven one morning and this morning they popped off the return air grate and put the cat in and then put the grate back down.

[Fezmid]

I'm assuming it leaks because there is a gap or something between the walls and the floor.  It is an older home (50 yrs) but the basement is in pretty good shape.  I've tried using Fast Plug Hydraulic Cement, but it is going to take quite a few cans to go around the entire basement.  What is the best way to seal the water out?  I do have some waterproofing paint, but I wasn't sure if I should go ahead and use the Hydraulic Cement around the entire perimiter of the basement first. 

 

Just so you know, this will be my Buffalo Bills Room and I can't really get started on it until I remove the water.  It's not a ton of water, it just kinda slowly leaks in.

Also, anyone with kids know of a good baby gate that my 2 and 4 year old wouldn't be able to un-lock?  We try to keep them confined to a certain area when they wake up, but they've figured out how to get it open.  Now they wander the house without waking us up and they've put the cat in the oven one morning and this morning they popped off the return air grate and put the cat in and then put the grate back down.

 

I just had a leaky basement fixed. Are you SURE that it's coming from where the floor and wall meet? In my case, water was leaking down but the actual problem was on the first floor, above the living room window. It would leak down through the rafters, behind the insulation, and onto the floor.

 

If it IS coming from the floor/wall, I'd guess that you need better drainage. I seem to recall reading something about french drains, but I don't know anything about it -- try a search (and someone will correct me if I have the wrong name...)

 

The builder used DryLoc on my walls before we realized where the problem really came from. The stuff smelled TERRIBLE, but it's supposed to work really well.

 

Hope this helps.

CW

[Dan Gross]

Also, anyone with kids know of a good baby gate that my 2 and 4 year old wouldn't be able to un-lock?  We try to keep them confined to a certain area when they wake up, but they've figured out how to get it open.  Now they wander the house without waking us up and they've put the cat in the oven one morning and this morning they popped off the return air grate and put the cat in and then put the grate back down.

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Not an expert on the basement stuff, but for the second I would tend to recommend the "Super Gate III" depending on the application. It's a "no swing" pressure gate. My 4 year old can manage the "easy open" gate that's downstairs, but she doesn't bother with the "Super Gate III," as it requires some strength to "unlock" it. We put it up in their bedroom doorway every night, to keep them from wandering (especially since the bedroom is upstairs). I imagine it could be knocked over if the kid bull-rushed it, but hopefully the noise of that would wake you. You can mount it as a swing gate if you want, but just setting it up as a pressure gate should work. As always, depending on your mounting situation, etc, YMMV, but it's a relatively cheap thing to try...

[KRC]

I'm assuming it leaks because there is a gap or something between the walls and the floor.  It is an older home (50 yrs) but the basement is in pretty good shape.  I've tried using Fast Plug Hydraulic Cement, but it is going to take quite a few cans to go around the entire basement.  What is the best way to seal the water out?  I do have some waterproofing paint, but I wasn't sure if I should go ahead and use the Hydraulic Cement around the entire perimiter of the basement first. 

 

Just so you know, this will be my Buffalo Bills Room and I can't really get started on it until I remove the water.  It's not a ton of water, it just kinda slowly leaks in.

Also, anyone with kids know of a good baby gate that my 2 and 4 year old wouldn't be able to un-lock?  We try to keep them confined to a certain area when they wake up, but they've figured out how to get it open.  Now they wander the house without waking us up and they've put the cat in the oven one morning and this morning they popped off the return air grate and put the cat in and then put the grate back down.

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I am in the process of adding an office to an area of my basement. We put the waterproofing cement on the walls. We then are framing new walls, with insulation and a vapor barrier.

 

Since this may no solve ALL of the water problems, we are also using a product called Drycore as our subfloor. It consists of 1/4" OSB mounted on polyethelene base, which has "feet" built into it. What this does is raise your OSB subfloor up off of the cement floor of the basement, and provides a vapor barrier for the OSB. Any flooding (assuming it is minor) will just flow underneath the floor, and to your sump. Your floor is protected, and adds some insulation value to your floor. The Drycore tiles are 2'x2' tongue-and-groove sections that can be cut with any circular saw. Install it as a floating floor, with 1/4" gap around the edges. Finish the floor any way you want.

[PIZ]

"Super Gate III"[/url] depending on the application.  It's a "no swing" pressure gate.  My 4 year old can manage the "easy open" gate that's downstairs, but she doesn't bother with the "Super Gate III,"  as it requires some strength to "unlock" it. 

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Did she ever try to climb over it? That's another problem we had. They take their socks off and climb over it, but now that they've figured out how to pop it open they just do that. I'll take a better look at the Super Gate III when I get some more time. Thanks.

[Dan Gross]

Did she ever try to climb over it? That's another problem we had.  They take their socks off and climb over it, but now that they've figured out how to pop it open they just do that.  I'll take a better look at the Super Gate III when I get some more time.  Thanks.

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No, she hasn't tried climbing it yet. Simple solution to that is to put two up.

[PIZ]

You guys are awesome. Fezmid, that is the kind of paint I'm planning on using. Do you think that alone could seal the leaks or would I need to use the Hydraulic Cement also?

 

KRC, I never heard of Drycore. That plus the Drylok might be my ticket to my first personalized Bill's Room.

[stevestojan]

I imagine it could be knocked over if the kid bull-rushed it

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I dont know why, but that cracked me up...

[KRC]

You guys are awesome.  Fezmid, that is the kind of paint I'm planning on using.  Do you think that alone could seal the leaks or would I need to use the Hydraulic Cement also?

 

KRC, I never heard of Drycore.  That plus the Drylok might be my ticket to my first personalized Bill's Room.

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Drylock is different from waterproofing cement. Just keep that in mind.

 

Drycore is good stuff. You can get it at Home Depot, but not all Home Depot's carry it. You might want to call ahead, to see which in your area carry it.

[Fezmid]

You guys are awesome.  Fezmid, that is the kind of paint I'm planning on using.  Do you think that alone could seal the leaks or would I need to use the Hydraulic Cement also?

 

KRC, I never heard of Drycore.  That plus the Drylok might be my ticket to my first personalized Bill's Room.

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From what I"m told, it's supposed to work, but I'm not expert.

 

CW

[KRC]

From what I"m told, it's supposed to work, but I'm not expert.

 

CW

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I am no expert, either, but from what I understand, Drylock is not as effective long-term as the cement. That is why I went the cement route.

[Fezmid]

I am no expert, either, but from what I understand, Drylock is not as effective long-term as the cement. That is why I went the cement route.

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Fair enough. My builder did the cement first and then drylock after so I'm double-covered!

 

CW

[Griz]

Yes - DriLock is good stuff; portland cement mixed with paint. To avoid the smell, the do offer in in latex, AND you can color it too. I used several gallons around my basement in a beige I had tinted. Works quite well, just slop it on thick...

 

The most effective way to keep water, even small amounts, out of your basement is to direct water away from your foundation. All the drilock and cement in the world won't stop water from entering your basement if you have poor grading around your foundation (directs water toward the house) and/or you don't have gutters. Mentally take the trip that a rain drop would take when it hits your roof. You should, at some point in your magical trip, be directed away from the foundation.

 

Good luck!!!

[KRC]

Just to correct an earlier "speeling" mistake on my part, the product is called DRIcore.

 

DRIcore Thingy

[cåblelady]

Fair enough.  My builder did the cement first and then drylock after so I'm double-covered!

 

CW

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That's what I did. So far, so good. Oh, yeah......had to replace a water pipe, too.

[todd]

I know quite a bit about wet basements. Our house is 70 years old.

 

Basically, your house should have a perimiter drain - a gap between the wall and the floor which the water goes in then goes either to a sump pump or a gravity drain to your storm sewer. If you don't have this, you're screwed.

 

Basically, if water wants to get in, it will get in. If you seal the wall, it will get in somewhere else. You can't really seal water out, but you can give it an alternate way to leave your basement.

 

I installed a perimiter drain and a sump pump myself. It was a pain in the ass, but our basement is now bone dry.

[PIZ]

I installed a perimiter drain and a sump pump myself. It was a pain in the ass, but our basement is now bone dry.

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I'm not sure I would need a sump pump. It's never gotten flooded. Just wet around the walls. Do you have any links to intall a perimeter drain for a fellow do it yourselfer? Thanks.

[KRC]

I'm not sure I would need a sump pump.  It's never gotten flooded.  Just wet around the walls.  Do you have any links to intall a perimeter drain for a fellow do it yourselfer?  Thanks.

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Well, it may not flood now, but it is an insurance policy for the future. Sometimes, all it takes is one heavy rain to turn a dry basement into a wet basement. The fact that you have wet walls is an indication that it would be a good idea to install the drain and sump.

 

If you are finishing the basement (which you mentioned you were going to do), you should consider Todd's comments, and get this done. The last thing you want to have happen, is ruining your new room(s) because you did not want the added trouble/expense. Besides, I think that you mentioned that this was going to be the room that houses your Bills stuff? If that is the case, then MY GOD MAN, PROTECT THE BILLS STUFF.

 

BTW, I have an area already set aside for my Bills shrine. What is now the family room, will become a sports bar to house my Bills collectibles.

[Mike in Syracuse]

Without seeing your basement it's hard to be sure what the issue is. If you have a 2" gap where the floor meets the wall DO NOT seal up the gap. Ours runs around the perimeter of the floor. It's called a floating slab floor. It's designed to let the water run down through the block and into the drainage pipe which takes it to the sump. You said that you didn't have a sump which makes me wonder what kind of basement you actually have. My recommendation would be to bring a professional in. Especially if your considering finishing your basement.

[PIZ]

You said that you didn't have a sump which makes me wonder what kind of basement you actually have.  My recommendation would be to bring a professional in.  Especially if your considering finishing your basement.

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No, I don't have a sump pump. I'm not sure a sump pump would do anything. The water that gets into my basement just sits there next to the wall. My dad said I have French drains, but I'm not sure if I do or don't. On one wall in the basement there are 2 holes in the floor and there are 2 small PVC pipes from the furnace that drain water into the holes, but I don't see any other holes in the floor anywhere else.

 

I'm really not sure what to do. I probably will get someone in here to look at it. Have you ever heard of this product: Xypex