Help with unfinished basement

Advertise with us
SpartanEpoxies
shop deals on amazon
House Repair Talk

Help Support House Repair Talk:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
M

muzikmaan9

Member
Joined
Sep 11, 2019
Messages
5
Reaction score
1
Location
NJ
Nick here, new member. Just inquiring about the basement in my new house. I basically just want it decent enough to be able to store some things, play drums, and workout. Here's its' story:

About 400sq ft below grade 13ft ceiling, concrete floor, cinderblock walls, also with two connected smaller cemented in craw spaces higher up at/above grade.

Seems like a pretty dry basement. Previous owner mentioned seeing "a couple tiny puddles" over the years and just last May 2019 installed a french drain system w/sump pump. Previous owner drylok'd about half of the walls.

Fast forward to me moving in July 2019. From experience, seeing that every downspout aimed right at the foundation, one of the first things I did when I moved in was extend every spout 5ft. I noticed an area on the walls was discolored and the drylok chipping so I took a scraper and chipped off any loose parts. Some tiny spots had the cinder block deteriorating just a tad w/efflorescence, so I cleaned each spot out w/masonry cleaner than patched with hydraulic cement. The area in question is I believe the same area the main water source comes in to the house and feeds all areas including the sprinkler system.

I had an "expert" come check out the basement and tell me the walls with the discoloration and chipping will still have moisture problems only being able to be fully rectified by excavation from the outside and installing their own brand french drain/sump pump. My wife and I just moved in. I'm sorry but excavation of any sort is NOT an option, nor will it be for a long time. The "expert" than stated that I may be fine for years to come if I just get a dehumidifier and just keep an eye on the walls.

My question is the preservation of the foundation. I don't plan on finishing the room, but I also do not want to run into foundation issues in the future. Only thing I definitely want to do is use a penetrating sealer for the floor, than maybe a floor coating(epoxy?) so that I can do the things I want to do like workout, play drums, store some things etc... but what is in my best interest regarding the walls, if anything? If pictures are absolutely necessary, I'll try to upload.

Nick
 
There is no right answer here. So i will just give you some things to help you understand what is happening.
If the wall had a good damp proofing on the outside and a good drain on the outside the wall would be dry.
So we know one or both have failed. With that in mind your contractor was right.
The alternative to that is to trench around the inside and out dig a drain under the floor to a sump and drape the wall so all the water is caught and directed to the below floor drain.
The other thing to think about, is it might be just a small leak and the heat inside the basement is drawing it thru the wall causing what you see
Often the block walls are not filled with concrete so if you are seeing this water somewhat up the wall, the block below that area could be full of water.
It is important to find out what it is and how bad because if the drain is plugged and the dirt outside is filling with water, it could be adding tons of pressure on the wall that it was never designed to retain.
Is it an IR camera that measures heat, after a rain and you see dampness you could use the camera, I would think if the wall is full of water it will be cooler where the water.
You could stick a good size piece of 3" foam board over the area and seal it to the wall and remove it have it has turned cold outside.
Then if you have water behind it. it would be a leak and not caused by heat in the basement.
 
I also agree that your "expert" was basically correct in saying it would have to be addressed from the outside. IMHO any sealers, drylok, paint, etc on the inside is only playing games and waste of effort. Since you have already decided not to go to the expense of exterior work, I would say don't worry about it. So long as you don't try to finish the basement, it will be fine. When you get a strong rain event --- like 2" in 12 hours --- that will give you a good indicator of extent of any problem.
 
Awesome thanks for the replies. Little extra info on the house:

Its only 24 years old, and when it rains, all the walls feel dry except for the one corner which is in fact cool to the touch. That area has the staining and paint chipping. Some spots are pinkish, some brownish(acid in soil?). I haven't seen a drop of water anywhere on walls or floor. I'm wondering if the new french drain system installed just a few months ago plus the downspout work I did alleviated some of the houses' previous issues and I should be ok? I certainly will not be painting drylok over those areas in question. I would love that area to look a little nicer, but I'm under the impression there's nothing I can do cuz the walls need to breathe.

Can you guys comment on the floor aspect I was inquiring about? I already went around and filled in the few hairline cracks. I want to keep moisture at a minimum of course. I did the plastic sheet test for two days and found no moisture on either side of the 10 small pieces I taped down all around the floor. I also have a moisture meter and the highest reading a got around the floor was about 7%, most read about 4 or 5%. Am I good with this course of action:

-clean any dirt and take a vacuum to it
-use a deep penetrating sealer first
-use an epoxy coating (or something like elastomeric? what's best?)
-buy a dehumidifier, and run the output hose of that into the sump pump well

Call it a day with that?
 
Your floor sounds good, never impressed with paint. I would seal it with the water based sealer you would do a driveway with.
 
nealtw - are either of these good picks for me?...

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Ghostsh...er-Waterproofer-Plus-Densifier-9500/205212663

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Ghostsh...-Plus-Water-and-Salt-Repellent-8500/205212675

oldognewtrick - yes I have, most walls have readings below 12%, but there is a corner like I mentioned before that has much higher and discoloration. The previous owner did not extend any gutter downspouts (which I just did recently), and the perimeter could use some re-grading in that exact corner. Rest of the walls are in great shape. He did drylok most of the walls though couple years ago, but theyre all mostly fine with zero chipping, discoloration except for that corner.
 
Steve123 said:
I also agree that your "expert" was basically correct in saying it would have to be addressed from the outside. IMHO any sealers, drylok, paint, etc on the inside is only playing games and waste of effort. Since you have already decided not to go to the expense of exterior work, I would say don't worry about it. So long as you don't try to finish the basement, it will be fine. When you get a strong rain event --- like 2" in 12 hours --- that will give you a good indicator of extent of any problem.
Click to expand...

Steve and/or Neal: Floor update. I just cleaned and prepped my concrete floor then put two coats of Foundation Armors water based silane siloxane sealer on it. It's been 4 days and should be set and dry. All I want to do at this point before setting up my musical instruments and storing a few things is make the floor look a tad nicer. Whats the best option here? Stain? Epoxy paint? Because it's sealed will I have problems getting anything to adhere to it? Don't coat at all and put an extra moisture barrier like 6mil plastic then a waterproof laminate over it? I just want it to look a little nicer the best possible way without running into issues.
 
6 mil plastic and vinyl plank floor would be a good choice. Almost all laminates are not waterproof and will swell over time if damp. The vinyl will also be more comfortable and slightly less echo-y than just concrete
 
30 years ago there was nothing to talk about, you put down sheet vinyl. If I ever do another floor in a basement it will be sheet vinyl. I haven't seen anything better, and i have done a few different things.
 
Guys thank u. An extra barrier of 6mil plastic and vinyl flooring it is. Seems like the best choice and i had a feeling thats what the answer was gonna be. Thanks again!
 
but have you done vinyl planks? That's the best way to compare the two. Maybe difficult isn't the right word. If you have a clear, rectangular room with no obstacles, then a sheet isn't too bad; just a little awkward to handle. And a mistake can cost the whole sheet. With planks, you can stop and start any time and if you fork up a cut, you just put that plank on the side and may be able to use it later
 
slownsteady said:
but have you done vinyl planks? That's the best way to compare the two. Maybe difficult isn't the right word. If you have a clear, rectangular room with no obstacles, then a sheet isn't too bad; just a little awkward to handle. And a mistake can cost the whole sheet. With planks, you can stop and start any time and if you fork up a cut, you just put that plank on the side and may be able to use it later
Click to expand...
I have done vinyl planks I would still back to sheets.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Latest posts

Back
Top