Forum Archive: Waterproofing

We’ve been having an issue with water in our basement and are wondering who people use for waterproofing issues. We’ve had a mason look at it and a plumber, but feel like we need someone who can look at the whole picture. Or maybe just a mason who specializes, or a plumbing co. that’s particularly good with this stuff (water coming through a seam in the front foundation wall – we want to repair it but also locate the source) Thanks!

Rather than just paying tens of thousands of dollars to have my back yard jackhammered down to the foundation, I’d like to hire a structural engineer to determine the origin of an intermittent
basement water problem.
Not every storm. Can’t determine exact point of entry. Sometimes, it seems as if water rises from the slab, other times it may seep in from yard. It may even be from a neighbor’s house.
Seems to me it pays to hire an expert. Any suggestions?

I’ve developed some roof leaks after all this crummy weather. When the weather is warmer I’ll bring in a professional, but what should I use as a temporary patch? is my only option that black gooey stuff? Everything else I’ve looked at calls for temperatures over 50 degres F.

Any counsel much appreciated. I think my downspout may have been partially blocked, causing the whole damn thing to freeze. Now I’ve got a leak into my tenants’ extension.

The roof of the extension was a giant sheet of ice – water seems to be flowing down the side of the building and I think pooled on the extension roof. We cleared it and I’m trying to “de-ice the gutter with warm water but it’s solid ice. Happy to call a roofer but I’m not sure what can be done until the ice thaws. Ideas to the contrary MUCH appreciated!

I am installing C channels to re-support the building for a 7×18 foot opening in the back of the building. The building is a 1890 brick building and we are installing a wall of hand made windows under the C channels. Any suggestions on flashing and waterproofing the C channels and Brick? The opening will be frammed out with a raw jam of 2×4′s and 2×6′s with an 8×8 steel column in the middle. From top down will be brick, C channels, and then the raw jam.

Both our front doors have water damage.

The Garden Apt has a soft almost foam like substance above the door that is starting to crack.

The second floor door is fine but the overhang seems to almost be melting. We just bought the house so I’m not sure how they treated it.

Any recommendations for how to treat these problems would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks for your time.

I have received conflicting opinions about applying Thoroseal to basement walls after repointing. One contractor recommended doing this, while the other contractor said that it would trap moisture behind the Thoroseal and hasten deterioration of the mortar. He said Thoroseal should only be used above ground. I would appreciate advice on this matter.

During a heavy rain we get lots of water in our basement. Over the years, we have consulted several individuals / companies to get a handle on the problem, but we have never been confident that any of them knew exactly what to do, so we have simply lived with it. However, after the recent heavy rains, I have decided to begin the process anew and recently recieved a proposal from a general contractor that includes a number of very expensive steps – such as basement floor excavation, digging along the outside rear wall down to the foundation, hiring an architect, etc. – but, again, we are not confident that each of these steps is necessary and/or will work. Can anyone recommend a company that has experience in this area so that we can get additional data points? Thanks in advance.

So I’ve officially joined the “Water in the Basement” club!

While I have plans to fix the spot where the water is getting in, it’s not a quick/easy fix right now so my goal right now is to keep the water from continuing on from the back half of the basement (storage area) where’s it getting in on into the front half (rugs, rec room). This photo shows the narrowest spot and beyond that is the rec room. I want to try to stop the water from getting past this point- any suggestions on materials for a barrier I could fasten down to the floor to stop it from getting past? I was thinking just a 2-3 inch tall rubber strip across the width of the hall, but not sure if that’s my best bet. I just would rather the water pool in the back then continue on to the rug-covered areas.

Any suggestions welcome!