leaking sewer pipe in basement - Leaking most builders will agree that water leaking into the basement is a common warranty issue. Homeowners and builders are constantly looking for ways to make the most of every square inch of potential living space.
As a result, dungeons are often turned into usable spaces.
Thus, designing to keep the basement dry is more important than ever.
Some groundwater problems sometimes arise during the construction process and disappear when the house's drainage system is fully functional.
Other potential issues continue to exist and should be addressed as a precautionary measure, especially in cases where the dungeon will be completed within the first year.
leaking sewer pipe in basement
Repairing Leaking Basement Wall Cracks
Fill the entire depth of leaky cracks in basement walls pouring with our complete starter.
Utilizes low pressure concrete injection, the same process used by structural repair and waterproofing professionals.
Cracks that repair watertight from front to back and bottom up – result in a self-made repair.
Walk through any basement early on during construction and you'll often find water for a number of reasons:
the sump pump needs more capacity or just power to run, the final leveling hasn't been completed, the gutters haven't been installed, the pipe penetration hasn't been closed. The list continues to grow.
The result is a basement seepage that may never happen again once everything is operational, but should be carefully analyzed for future ongoing problems.
Lack of drainage around foundation walls can result in large amounts of water entering the basement through tie holes, wall and floor cracks, floor joints, and honeycomb.
The fixing hole occurs at the point area of the wall where the metal remnants of the rods that hold the concrete form together during the process of pouring the wall.
They can find along the vertical layer where the two concrete forms meet. The distance between these vertical rows of tie holes is usually two, three, or four feet. Tie rods are usually round or flat.
Round ties can cause problems when using in colder conditions. After the formwork is removed, the ends of the tie rods are broken by turning the ends of the rods clockwise with a hammer.
Because concrete walls heal significantly more slowly in winter, twisting the bond can break the bond between the concrete wall and the steel bars.
The result can be an entire wall of leaking bonds.
The good news is that tie rod holes, unlike wall cracks, will not move or shrink any further.
The repair is simple and can be accomplished by coating the surface of the hole with two parts epoxy or urethane paste or even hydraulic cement.
An alternative approach to reducing the possibility of binder leaks is to wait to break the bond until the contractor returns to pour the basement floor.
Protruding stems, however, can pose a safety issue.
Cracks in the floor or the remaining space where the floor meets the wall (called cove joints) rarely, if ever, leak as long as the sump and drainage systems are working properly.
Occasionally, bay joints may show signs of moisture in areas very far from the pump or in recesses or bays.
This joint can be injected with urethane and, when it heals, stop the water long enough to let it drain.
This is assuming the drain is unobstructed.
Cracks in the floor should not leak. If water rises through cracks in the floor, the pump may not work or the drain line may be clogged.
A honeycomb is an area of the wall where Portland has not been able to encapsulate aggregate or rock. The most common cause is that the concrete has been left in the concrete truck for too long.
If the hardened concrete goes too deep into the truck, Portland will not mix well with the stone creating cavities in the wall area once the concrete has poured into place.
Honeycombs can often be repaired with a simple patch, although some will require an epoxy or urethane injection if they continue to leak after the patch.
Another area where water problems are often encountered is at the point where the pipe penetrates the wall. To do this, leave holes in the foundation so that the pipe can pass through the wall.
Once the feed pipe is through the wall, contractors will often use brittle, rigid hydraulic cement to seal openings from within the basement.
The hydraulic cement begins to harden within a few minutes so it is usually only pushed two to three inches into the wall.
Vibration in the pipe, among other things, will often break the cement seal and crack (resulting in the area leaking again).
A common ineffective approach is to reapply cement or coat the area with a sealant.
Coating the interior walls of the basement, usually, will not stop leaks.
A cost-effective and permanent fix involves drilling through the old patch into the cavity on its back and injecting non-shrinkable urethane foam to fill the cavity completely.
The void area around the pipe is often greater than ” so it is important that the urethane does not shrink.
Read also :
- remove mold from basement walls
- how to get rid of mold on concrete block walls
- how to find the main sewer line in your house
Shrinking foam will eventually fail in large vacuum situations.
The most common cause of basement water in homes is from leaking cracks in the walls. Concrete walls will crack due to the release of water during the curing process.
Cracks can usually be found near cracks in the wall (such as windows and beam pockets) or in the center of a long wall that is not interrupted by a bend in the wall area.
These cracks will not automatically leak but they do happen frequently. Surface repairs with rigid products such as hydraulic cement or epoxy will often fail again within a few years. Proper crack repair requires that the crack be completely filled with epoxy resin or urethane foam.
Advances in waterproofing techniques now allow builders to permanently repair cracks without asking outside help.
Builders include Pulte Homes, Dell Web, etc. Now see the value in making repairs at home. As noted earlier, proper crack repair requires that the crack be completely filled to prevent reoccurrence.
With today's technology, it is now possible and practical.