brasilmom

Pardon me if this thread belongs elsewhere.

Recently we had a lot of rain, about 8" in 12-15 hours. Thankfully the powder did not go out and the sump pump ran non stop. However, there are two areas in our basement that we notice a little problem. One is by one of the sump pumps. water get in but it is diverted to the pump and no further problem in caused. At least as far as we can see. The other area is rather interesting. It is on a corner that sits against the garage wall. We cut out half of the dry wall and noticed that the water seems to come in from the wall or floor. Now, above this area is a garage without any water infiltration problem and based on our discoveries are not coming from up above anyway. The interesting fact is that behind that corner is or is supposed to be filled with soil. The problem area is not directly under the garage but offset from it. So, what could be causing this particular problem?
A bit of history here. 2 winters ago, water got frozen in the pipe that takes the sump pump water to the sewer line. I imagine that this pipe is ruptured. However it is a good 24 feet, give or take from the "problem" area. The problem area by the sump pump can possibly be caused by this issue.

Now, the area is cleaned, bleached and drying. No rain in the forecast, but we will leave it open to further investigate and hopefully fix the issue. Anyone here can give us some advice on what to look for and things to consider?

Hope this is not too or totally confusing. Thanks. Be well

Miriam

oldognewtrick

Miriam, post some pics of the wall, and the outside of the house where the leak is. Also make sure the soil is sloped to drain water away from the house. Are the gutters clogged and overflowing? Where do your downpipes drain to?

brasilmom

Thank you Oldog. I have taken pics, but I am not sure how to go about adding them here. I will try again and hopefully get it right. Any direction, deeply appreciated.
Miriam

brasilmom

This is the part we cut open. Above this point is all dry.


This shows the covered porch under which the "problem" area is located. The exterior wall by the window is the same wall that goes into the basement. So, technically that area is protected from water running down the wall


The downspout in front of the garage.

Hope this helps (and works)

Thanks. Be well

Miriam

oldognewtrick

Pics worked great, a couple questions. Are the gutters clean, free of debris? Where does that down pipe drain to? Does it drop water on the ground or go into underground drainage?

brasilmom

The gutters are indeed clean. The pipe drain on the front of the garage. there is another pipe that goes underground. I am adding those pics too.




This one runs underground and is by the sump pump. The underground pipe is about 4 feet from the wall. This would put a good 20+ feet from the "problem" area.

Thanks for helping out. Be well

Miriam

oldognewtrick

Has the ground settled, so there is a low spot by the wall where the leak is occurring? You want a positive slope away from the house so water doesn't pond in that area.

brasilmom

You see, the area in the first pic, which is a finished area of the basement is under the covered porch, offset from the garage wall. The covered porch does not even get wet unless there is a windy rain. This is what puzzles us. No settling in the porch or roses, or the side walk. Now, on the area where the sump pump is, the water goes towards the garage doors, because the driveway is fairly new (not done by us) and seems to be a bit higher and not slopped away from the door. That area in the basement also gets a bit wet, and we are in the process of addressing it. We just do not know how the other area could possibly have gotten water where it did. I fear that I am not being very eloquent here. Please let me know if any of this makes sense.
Thanks. Be well

Miriam

inspectorD

Being that water seeks its own level, you may not be able to fix this issue.
The design of your home is a garage with a basement, the garage foundation walls are only 4 feet tall, while the basement continues to 8 feet down. If you do not already have a way for water to escape underground at the side that is leaking,you may be out of luck.
If there are perimeter drains around the outside, that may be helping a little during lighter rains.
T issue is the exterior wall area from the outside, you need to fix the damproofing of the exterior foundation wall that is under the garage....nearly impossible, or control the water after it comes into the basement with a drain system at the interior.
This is why I tell folks, do not finish your basements with anything organically based. Wood, sheetrock paper and rugs are a sure thing to get mold growing in your home, add some fiberglass insulation that holds air filled mold spores, and you get issues that need to be removed and not reinstalled.

There are companies out there that can help, you need some professional advice in my opinion. try Basement Waterproofing Information and Estimates | Wet Basement Contractors for further info.

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oldognewtrick

Inspector, what about installing a French drain around the front of the house? Wouldn't that be less expensive than trying to capture water that has infiltrated the basement wall?