Fixing leak in house foundation

[BgBmBoo]

Short version: I'm looking for some advice on the proper method to fix a leak where the water line enters my home through the concrete basement wall.

If you care to know more: My house was built in 1965. At some point rural water was added and a water line was run into the basement through the concrete wall. Nothing out of the ordinary or special, just a 1.5" pipe approximately 48" below grade which puts it more or less right in the middle of my basement wall.

During high rainfall events water runs along my foundation and can leak into the basement. The previous owner's solution was to insert an piece of 1/8" tubing and seal the area with some sort of putty. Doesn't stop the leak, but does give it an easy path to follow, which is into a 5 gallon bucket.

Most of the year it isn't a big deal. Maybe a couple gallons after a rain. But right now when we are getting serious rain, I find myself dumping 30-40 gallons before it stops flowing. We will be re-doing the landscaping in the area where the water line enters the house, so I figure now is the time to dig it up and fix it the right way.

So how exactly do I do that? Anyone have any advice to steer me in the right direction? This isn't something that needs done tomorrow, so I'm still in research mode. I'm just not sure where to start or what products I should be looking into.

I appreciate any help.

 

[Radix2]

The issue is getting the water away from the foundation - it is all but impossible to create a completely waterproof basement wall against serious water pressure. Do you have any other leaks ? dampness penetrating the walls, efflorescence? Block or poured walls?

I would dig it up apply a tar sealer to the area from the outside, but most importantly make sure that the grade is well away from the foundation and all gutters drain away too.

 

[BgBmBoo]

The issue is getting the water away from the foundation - it is all but impossible to create a completely waterproof basement wall against serious water pressure. Do you have any other leaks ? dampness penetrating the walls, efflorescence? Block or poured walls?

I would dig it up apply a tar sealer to the area from the outside, but most importantly make sure that the grade is well away from the foundation and all gutters drain away too.

Poured walls, no other leaks that I am aware of. No dampness penetrating the walls either. 3/4 of the basement is unfinished and I inspect it regularly during the wet season for problems.

As far as getting the water away, that would be best. But at this point I don't see how I can do that without spending some serious cash. The house has gutters, all of which are dumping the water 10'+ away from the house. Slope is good in all but one small spot that will be fixed when we redo the landscape. The biggest problem is my soil type. Massive shrink swell clay. In the peak of the summer the soil pulls away from the foundation 1-2". So you can imagine when we get 2+ inches of driving rain on basically any side of the home, the water can travel along the foundation in every direction.

I will definitely recheck the grade around the house though. Maybe I missed a spot and there is an area that is backing up during high rainfall events. Now that I think about it, one gutter does end a little closer to the house, but it is on the opposite side of the home. I'll add it to the list.

Thanks for the tar sealer suggestion. That's along the lines of what I was thinking I would need.

 

[Radix2]

Poured walls, no other leaks that I am aware of. No dampness penetrating the walls either. 3/4 of the basement is unfinished and I inspect it regularly during the wet season for problems.

As far as getting the water away, that would be best. But at this point I don't see how I can do that without spending some serious cash. The house has gutters, all of which are dumping the water 10'+ away from the house. Slope is good in all but one small spot that will be fixed when we redo the landscape. The biggest problem is my soil type. Massive shrink swell clay. In the peak of the summer the soil pulls away from the foundation 1-2". So you can imagine when we get 2+ inches of driving rain on basically any side of the home, the water can travel along the foundation in every direction.

I will definitely recheck the grade around the house though. Maybe I missed a spot and there is an area that is backing up during high rainfall events. Now that I think about it, one gutter does end a little closer to the house, but it is on the opposite side of the home. I'll add it to the list.

Thanks for the tar sealer suggestion. That's along the lines of what I was thinking I would need.

Considering your specific conditions, maybe it is as simple as the water being able to follow the pipe right in as opposed to the more common issue of saturated soils around the foundation.

Do you have any grade available that would allow a french drain around problem area? - how about replacing the clay with something less shrinky so that it can keep the area sealed?

 

[dogdog]

this remind me of that old Holmes on Homes episode ... probably going to be expensive fix.... happened to my friend's place as well when he bought the house.... the previous owner was sneaky ran 2 dehumidifier in the basement to dry up all the evident of leaks during the inspection.... the next big rainfall was a month after closing......by that time it was too late. But either case this video have more permanent fix.... the other friend that have the same issue they dig a trench inside the perimeter of the basement and divert it to a sump pump....

 

[ambenz]

What you need is some crack injection!
Epoxy or Polyurethane..or both! Works great!

See... http://www.concretenetwork.com/concrete/crack_injection/epoxies_vs_polyurethanes.html

 

[BgBmBoo]

Considering your specific conditions, maybe it is as simple as the water being able to follow the pipe right in as opposed to the more common issue of saturated soils around the foundation.

That's exactly it. I don't think the saturated soils are the main issue, the water is literally following the pipe in. I've experimented in the summer time by running the garden hose on the foundation right above where the water line enters the basement. Thirty seconds of running water and I will have water in my catch bucket in the basement. I'm guessing the area around the pipe was never properly sealed.

Do you have any grade available that would allow a french drain around problem area? - how about replacing the clay with something less shrinky so that it can keep the area sealed?

A French drain might be a possibility right along that section of wall. How deep does the drain need to be? I don't think I have the elevation to put it 4-5' deep, but I might be able to put it 36" deep, which would be above the water line.

You also touched on a follow up question I had about backfill. Sand and gravel company is only 5 miles away, so I can backfill with whatever I want. Initially, I was thinking sand would be a good option.

You really have me thinking about that French drain now. Even if it is above the water line, I would think it would capture quite a bit of the water and relieve some pressure.

 

[BgBmBoo]

this remind me of that old Holmes on Homes episode ... probably going to be expensive fix....

I was afraid of that. In that case I might just leave it alone and use a larger catch bucket.. A local propane company owner rents his services on a mini excavator by the hour. For a few hundred bucks to dig the hole, I thought it might be worth it to try and fix the leak. I live in the country and have a small tractor so I can do the majority of the filling and leveling after. I dug a 5' hole by the house last summer for an antenna tower base. Never again!

What you need is some crack injection!
Epoxy or Polyurethane..or both! Works great!

See... http://www.concretenetwork.com/concrete/crack_injection/epoxies_vs_polyurethanes.html

Thanks, I'll look into that!

 

[cj7jeep81]

When they poured our basement, the concrete guys put a piece of 1.5" or 2" pvc in the wall to give the plumber's a place to run the pipe. Plumber just ran the 1" water pipe in through the hole, and left it at that. I used hydraulic cement to plug up the hole around the water pipe, and it worked really well. No leaks at all.

Another option is to buy a cheap little sump pump, and toss it in the 5 gallon bucket, and run a line up and over to a drain (assuming you have one). As the 5 gallon bucket fills up, the sump pump kicks on and automatically empties itself. Might be a good interim fix.

 

[The Cobbler]

When I replaced the water service to my house I drilled the foundation at a slight angle upwards towards the inside. filled the hole around the copper with hydraulic cement, then tarred over that. back filled with clear stone above the line so that any water that gets there has a fast easy path down to the weepers. never had a drip of water. I know this is not a fix suggestion, just what I did on a new install.

 

[Cyberbear]

The expanding cement usage I've read about before with stated good results. This coupled with hot tar, if possible, could be another option. To be most effective it would be nice to dry out the concrete wall around the mentioned incoming pipe. But, if the existing concrete wall is of a porous nature, exceptional measures may be required.

A last resort could be to redirect the incoming pressure line over the top of the foundation and down to where it's needed. This would eliminate the entry hole all together, and you could plug it accordingly with a bulk head plug as used in boats. Give it some consideration.

 

[Radix2]

A last resort could be to redirect the incoming pressure line over the top of the foundation and down to where it's needed. This would eliminate the entry hole all together, and you could plug it accordingly with a bulk head plug as used in boats. Give it some consideration.

Gets mighty cold in Kansas to try that ...

 

[Radix2]

That's exactly it. I don't think the saturated soils are the main issue, the water is literally following the pipe in. I've experimented in the summer time by running the garden hose on the foundation right above where the water line enters the basement. Thirty seconds of running water and I will have water in my catch bucket in the basement. I'm guessing the area around the pipe was never properly sealed.



A French drain might be a possibility right along that section of wall. How deep does the drain need to be? I don't think I have the elevation to put it 4-5' deep, but I might be able to put it 36" deep, which would be above the water line.

You also touched on a follow up question I had about backfill. Sand and gravel company is only 5 miles away, so I can backfill with whatever I want. Initially, I was thinking sand would be a good option.

You really have me thinking about that French drain now. Even if it is above the water line, I would think it would capture quite a bit of the water and relieve some pressure.

Around here a clay-loam type of soil is best around a foundation since it wil let rain run off more than say a sand or gravel backfill at the surface.

Ideally you have sand or gravel back filled and down to some type of perimeter drain tile, then some properly graded top soil at the surface to catch the run-off if any. Gutters are a big help to get any big flow quickly away. I wouldn't go for any complex or deep french drain, just something there at the top to catch the flow and stay better sealed to the foundation than your shrinky clay.

 

[BgBmBoo]

Another option is to buy a cheap little sump pump, and toss it in the 5 gallon bucket, and run a line up and over to a drain (assuming you have one). As the 5 gallon bucket fills up, the sump pump kicks on and automatically empties itself. Might be a good interim fix.

Great idea. I'll keep this in mind if we need to be gone for a few days and they are predicting rain.

A last resort could be to redirect the incoming pressure line over the top of the foundation and down to where it's needed. This would eliminate the entry hole all together, and you could plug it accordingly with a bulk head plug as used in boats. Give it some consideration.

Great idea, but the winters would be a bit problematic.

I'll look into the hydraulic cement. I've read a few sources online that have mentioned that as well. Maybe cement in the hole with tar on the outside as an extra barrier.

Thanks for all the suggestions guys, this have given me a few ideas to research.

 

[Bob275]

When we replace waterlines we use this:

http://www.homedepot.com/p/DRYLOK-Fast-Plug-10-lb-Hydraulic-Cement-00924/100171483

If you can get it, carefully chip around your water service to make room for the hydraulic cement. Chip away a small v shape, then seal it up with the above stuff. 99% of the time this works. Is the service copper or plastic? If it's old steel don't chip around it, you can damage it easily then you have bigger problems. Obviously the best way is to seal both the inside and outside but it's not always possible. When we pull the services and don't dig right to the foundation we only seal the inside and this stuff works.

 

[BgBmBoo]

Around here a clay-loam type of soil is best around a foundation since it wil let rain run off more than say a sand or gravel backfill at the surface.

Ideally you have sand or gravel back filled and down to some type of perimeter drain tile, then some properly graded top soil at the surface to catch the run-off if any. Gutters are a big help to get any big flow quickly away. I wouldn't go for any complex or deep french drain, just something there at the top to catch the flow and stay better sealed to the foundation than your shrinky clay.

I looked at the slope today. A french drain would definitely be a possibility on that section of the foundation. I would need around 100' of trench to reach the road ditch for an outlet, but the elevation is there.

 

[BgBmBoo]

When we replace waterlines we use this:

http://www.homedepot.com/p/DRYLOK-Fast-Plug-10-lb-Hydraulic-Cement-00924/100171483

If you can get it, carefully chip around your water service to make room for the hydraulic cement. Chip away a small v shape, then seal it up with the above stuff. 99% of the time this works. Is the service copper or plastic? If it's old steel don't chip around it, you can damage it easily then you have bigger problems. Obviously the best way is to seal both the inside and outside but it's not always possible. When we pull the services and don't dig right to the foundation we only seal the inside and this stuff works.

Thanks! I'll check the local HD/Lowes for that. The water line is black plastic where it comes into the house. I'd like to add a T for a hydrant while I have it dug up (zero hydrants on this place) so I might even pull the cut off section out of the foundation for easier cleaning of the concrete. I'm assuming the hydraulic cement needs a clean/freshly prepped surface for proper adhesion.

 

[oilslick]

I just fixed mine this spring ,got a kit from a company I think was called radon seal. Product called pipe tite, worked awesome. I highly recommend it. Took a little doing but much easier than digging it from outside.

 

[thammel]

I have a well and where the pipe comes in there was a leak in the past. Solution: go outside and dig down to the pipe and expose it. Ensure that you seal the spot with a hydraulic cement. After that dries, coat a large area with foundation cement (basically tar). Then use rock and sand at the bottom of the hole for good drainage. Fill it back up. You also need to be sure that all downspout drains are taken far away from the house. Mine has been totally dry ever since this repair.

It was a pain in the **** job because the pipe was under the deck and maybe had 3.5 feet of heat clearance before starting the dig!!

Tom