No easy solution for foundation repairs

Obviously, it could be trickling from a crack in the wall, or a steel tie in the wall that has rusted, or a crack at the floor/wall level. This is at the side of the house where we have a six-foot side yard and fence. This side of the house also has a polyethylene six mm tarp installed under two inches of gravel. The house also has a two-foot eave so there is very little rain that falls directly at this side of the house.

So, I question how the water gets into the wall.

Would I have to tear off the wall to find the exact point where the water enters? Then, how exactly can I repair this? Would I have to dig manually outside all the way to the basement floor, because there is no way to get any big equipment into this side yard?

Is there any way other than one shovel at a time? Once we find the crack, hole, etc. how do we seal it?

If you can help with this, it would be greatly appreciated. It seems like there is no easy way!

--Volker Beckmann, Thompson, Man.

ANSWER: Water and dampness in basements is the number one complaint of homeowners in Canada, according to several surveys and articles I have read, over the years. The moisture you are experiencing is quite common and likely due to the reasons you suggest. Our clay soil in Manitoba will absorb moisture only to a certain level, before it becomes saturated. Once saturated, the excess water will force its way through small holes or cracks in the concrete foundations by hydrostatic pressure. Most houses have a weeping tile drainage system installed around the footing, below the foundation wall, that collects this excess water and diverts it to a drain or a sump pit, where it can be drained from the house or re-circulated back outside.

In a home built in 1964, the weeping tile are likely composed of small cylinders made of concrete or clay that are laid close together, with small gaps in between to catch the excess water in the soil. The original tiles were clay, thus the origin of the name, weeping tile. Unfortunately, these older tiles have a tendency to get plugged with clay and silt over time and stop functioning or drain only minimal amounts of water.

This is likely the true cause of your trickle of water in this particular area. There may be a small hole or crack in the foundation wall in the laundry room and the plugged weeping tiles are not doing the job they were designed for. Grading the soil away from the home and adding downspout extensions normally helps, but are not sufficient in this case. Digging down along the exterior of the foundation is usually done manually, due to the disruptive nature of heavy equipment in finished yards. This should be done as a last resort. Firstly the interior wall coverings and insulation in the area around the leak should be removed and the foundation wall inspected for obvious points of entry. It the water is leaking in through a rusted form tie or small crack, patching with hydraulic cement may be enough to stop the flow of water. If the hole or crack is larger, injection with epoxy of other water resistant compounds into the opening may stop the water and help prevent it from increasing in size. These solutions are considerably less expensive than exterior excavation, but require interior destruction and repairs.

If the wall is opened up and moderate to large horizontal or diagonal cracks are found, or the source of the water is not apparent, then excavation is needed. Foundation contractors routinely do this type of work and should be consulted for quotes and advice. It is costly, but will allow replacement of the damaged weeping tile, as well as patching cracks and re-damproofing the outside of the foundation wall. Excavation will also eliminate the need for interior disruption, but may be just as much a nuisance, depending on the nature of your yard. You are correct, when it comes to foundation repairs; there is no easy way, unless the inside of the wall is fully exposed.

Ari Marantz is owner/inspector of Trained Eye Home Inspection Ltd. and is the PR Rep for the Canadian Association of Home & Property Inspectors- Manitoba (www.cahi.mb.ca). Questions can be e-mailed or sent to: Ask The Inspector, P. O. Box 69021, #110-2025 Corydon Ave., Winnipeg, MB. R3P 2G9. Ari can be reached at (204) 291-5358.

trainedeye@iname.com

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition July 7, 2003 $sourceSection$sourcePage