Waterproofing a BK Basement

Ok good regarding the gravel and I assume filter fabric as well so the sediment doesn’t go into the pipe. A vapor barrier is not always a moisture barrier but some consistently use the wrong terminology. I assume they mean moisture barrier that will stop incoming water.

People try to address from inside but the first thing to to is address it outside if possible. Ground water is a different beast.

I’m happy that you are talking to waterproofers. That’s really good to hear. Keep us posted.

hasibur.rahman07

in General Discussion 1 year and 7 months ago

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desert-island | 1 year and 7 months ago

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I’m looking into some waterproofing specialists and wondering how much is overkill?

Like many people we had water flood our basement during last Friday’s rain. I had actually been talking to some waterproofing vendors before then. The general consensus seems to be that we will need to:

– Remove the drywall on our south basement wall (the one facing the back yard)
– Add a waterproofing layer (one contractor wants to use a “vapor barrier,” another proposes spray foam) on the stone wall behind the drywall
– Dig a trench at the foot of that wall and install a channel, i.e., a perforated pipe or similar channel to capture groundwater
– That channel then feeds into a new sump pump that would be dug, and the sump pump would either connect to the city sewage pipe or empty out to the back yard

The expense seems considerable though not exorbitant, i.e., around $6K.

Wondering if anyone has had something similar done; all the contractors seem to suggest that this problem and this way of solving it is very common across Brooklyn.

I worry this is just a default solution and maybe more than we really need? Not an expert here by any means. Thanks for any advice!

hasibur.rahman07 | 1 year and 7 months ago

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The channel (perforated pipe) and maybe the sump are good ideas, the rest sound like a bad idea. And also no gravel mentioned with the perforated pipe?

Foam is not a good idea… If water is coming in through your wall and you have foam on this wall. It might keep the water from coming in but rock is full of crevices and the mortar is porous so what will happen to water? Especially when it freezes between the rocks, it’s going to cause spalling and other issues. Foam is not environmentally friendly and problematic in other ways.

First find out where the water is coming from and try to stop it there. Use a less expensive and more environmentally friendly insulation if you need a warm basement otherwise you don’t need it. Is your exterior area sloped away from the house? Do you have a concrete back yard and is that water flowing towards the house?

workisfun | 1 year and 7 months ago

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$6k doesn’t strike me as out of reason. Other estimates? Vard01 is correct on insulation and gravel. Also, you’re talking about water management, not really water proofing. A.M. Shield does good work. Lots of others. Get a guarantee! Some companies may screw up the pitch or install a crappy pump.

hasibur.rahman07 | 1 year and 7 months ago

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Agree @workisfun.There is no waterproofing mentioned in any of those suggestions. I thought I could get more info on the context before adding more info so as not to overwhelm OP.

Sometimes the post isn’t telling us everything and further question can help us get a clearer understanding of what the issues are. Right now I am not sure I know the source of the water.

6k is ok if they are adding waterproofing, gravel, pump, drains, vapor barrier in cellar etc. Start calling waterproofing companies (not GCs) and you’ll learn a lot and then you can form a solution.

desert-island | 1 year and 7 months ago

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Thanks for the feedback everyone. For the perforated pipe, vard01 is right, there will be gravel, I neglected to mention that.

More detail on the situation: it seems like the water is coming from the ground in the back yard, through the stone wall. I was led to believe that the vapor barrier IS the waterproofing. It effectively seals off the water that gets through the stone wall; that water drips down to the pipe, then to the sump pump.

Is there another method I should be looking at?

I’ve talked to a couple of waterproofing specialists (not GCs) and the proposals are pretty consistent. I do have another estimate scheduled though, so maybe I’ll learn more soon.

Really appreciate it!