We own a small commercial property that used to be a Jiffy Lube located in Dallas. The oil change bays were sealed up and the basement used for storage with our prior tenants but is not used now. The basement doesn’t have any sump pum or other drainage system. We have had water in the basement a few times over the last eight years that the tenants took care of. We were not sure if the water came from a roof leak or somewhere else. (There was evidence of a roof leak that we fixed.)
We are trying to get ahead of spring rains with preventative measures. A company recommended a drainaige system called “WaterGaurd” around the edge of the basement wall with a sump pump to take away any water. This would involve jack hammering the slab around the edges and opening up a place for the sump pump.
My question is this; do you think I am creating more trouble for myself opening up the slab to put in what is the equivalent of a frenchdrain around the edge? I am wondering if having it sealed today and having the potential of water coming in is better or if it is better to have a system to take it away but new cuts in the concrete to put it in.
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There is an interior drainage system that can be done without busting up the slab. They can put in what amounts to an interior gutter. The system is a plastic closed baseboard if you will. It is roughly three inches tall and about and 1" wide +/-. They install it first drilling holes horizontally in the foundation about an inch or so above the slab. They than epoxie the plastic baseboard to the wall and the slab the water drains into the baseboard from behind and is terminated into a sump pump pit. My parents have had this for more than 30 years and they haven't really had any issue. If you know where the water was coming in, you can save money by just treating the wall on that side. On its in and cured, you can paint it if you want or just leave it alone. You can see it here in the picture of the sump pump on the right.
http://www.wetbasementwaterproofingcontractors.com/?GM=403
Around here that's known as a "Beaver system", since that brand has traditionally been the most popular in this area: http://basementwaterproof.com/waterproofing_baseboard_system_l1.html
Works fairly well, I gather.
You still generally need to knock out a hole for the sump, though.