How to Fix a Leaky Basement

Last Updated: June 29, 2021

Leaking basements, aside from causing costly property damage, could lead to the growth of mold. To prevent potential health hazards and extensive damage to the structure of the house any water penetration should be identified and fixed. Here are some tips on how to eliminate leaks in the basement.

Steps

1
Inspect and identify source of leak (ie crack in the wall, leaking window, etc). Look carefully at organic surfaces such as wood, drywall, and carpets in a finished basement.^{[1]
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2
Dig down 6 feet (1.8 m) to the foundation all around outside of the house. The width of the trench should be enough for doing some other steps on the bottom. You need enough space for patching the foundation and installing draining pipe.^{[2]
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3
Pressure wash foundation and let it dry. Use heavy duty brush to clean up the surface of the foundation if water presser does not clean up all dirt from the wall. Make a slight incline in the patched area, slanting it from the floor upward toward the wall. This provides extra strength to the patched area and helps drain away any moisture that might accumulate in the future
4
Patch the cracks. Apply small amounts of the cement mix into the chipped-out area and smooth it out with an ordinary trowel.^{[3]
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5
Apply waterproofing paint sealer. You can purchase epoxy or latex waterproof mixes for treating walls. Most of these mixes require you to add only water. If you use this type of mix, be sure to follow the manufacturer's instructions carefully.^{[4]
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6
Install waterproofing membrane. Dimpled Membrane is made from tough, long lasting plastic that keeps exterior moisture out. It prevents back fill material from touching the foundation wall and bridges typical wall cracks with ease.^{[5]
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7
Run drainage pipe around the foundation to insure ground waters stay away from the walls. As seen in the picture, a footing drain rests just outside of a house’s foundation. Most often, this pipe is laid in a bed of loose gravel meant to keep dirt from entering. The pipe is thick, with 1/2" spaces in it, and stone is laid on top of it.
8
Fill the trench with soil that you took out before. Compress the soil every.

Community Q&A

Question

I have outside concrete steps. When it rains, water comes through the basement wall in that area. Can I fix it without digging down to the foundation on the outside?

Community Answer

Typically, yes. The leak wasn't present (most likely) when the place was new, so study the outside for water puddles, cracks in the stair or basement wall, or (if present) a dirty, clogged, or improper bulkhead door's drainage and water run away system. You may need to just add a bag of dirt to re-grade soil or pavers with a very minor pitch for water to run away from the stairs instead of towards. Cracks can be mortared or caulked, but only in addition to re-grading; you never want water to collect anywhere behind basement walls and floors. The water always wins and you always lose.
Question

Should I put a slanted concrete edge around the foundation to keep water from going into the basement?

Community Answer

Yes, if it's a sidewalk type of "edge" that connects to a slightly sloping yard. Otherwise, no. You could be creating a pocket for water to gather in, like many gutter downspouts' underground piping does; water just needs time to figure out its path. It's best to just grade or pitch the soil away from the house for as far as you can and have a foot or much more leader on the ends of your gutters' downspouts. These would be permanent fixes and never have to be bothered with again for extremely minimal cost and moderate effort.

Warnings

Be prepared for heavy exercises when you dig. This is most difficult part of this job, especially if you do not have digging machine or several people that can dig all day long.

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