A few years ago we had an egress window put in the basement. A hole was cut in the patio to do this. (See BASEMENT EGRESS.JPG) We have recently noticed water trickling thru the wall in the basement just to the left of the window. (This would be below the door in PATIO 1.JPG) PATIO 5.JPG shows where the water is getting under the concrete, most of it by the brick. PATIO DRAINAGE.JPG shows approximately how the water flows by gravity on the patio. The downspout on the left goes into a clay pipe and I believe connects with the storm sewer or the tile line around the outside of the house. I can run water from a hose full blast into the downspout for 10 minutes and no water shows up in the basement.
After talking with a contractor that I trust, it looks like my options are:
1. Try to caulk/plug/patch the hole and cracks under the step. This seems to be where most of the water is getting in, but I suspect some is getting in around the brick that is around the window well and flower bed.
2. Tear up a portion of the patio and repour it to grade it away from the foundation and to seal the patio to the foundation.
3. Cut away the concrete along the inside of basement wall, install drainage tile, and extend this to the sump pit. This is about 25 feet away.
I would rather not do anything inside the house, but I do want a definitive repair. I recently had this contractor do option #3 in another house with excellent results.
I would appreciate any comments or suggestions.
Paul
PS: The last picture is what my cat thinks about this. He doesn’t have water running thru his basement workshop.
Replies
Is that a footing drain tile I see under the window in Basement Egress.jpg?
Did you move the entry door in Patio1.jpg to the left from where it is in Basement Egress.jpg?
I see the problem. . . Ya gots a little kid down there doing #1 on yer wall. See at.asp2.jpg.
I too think Patio5.jpg is where the water is starting from.
If you do have drain tile at the footing I would give the water a real easy way to get to it. Take up the two paver bricks closest to the wall and drill a two" hole thrue the concrete under them. Center the hole on the joint between the two pavers and as close to the Railing base wall as you can.
Auger a 2" hole thru the backfill down to the footing drain and stick a piece of 1 1/2" PVC down it. Cut it off flush or just beneath the surface of the concrete.
When you replace the pavers, do NOT put any mortar on the ends next to the railing base, except to make a 45* ramp up against the house wall. Do not get any mortar in the PVC pipe. Fill the mortarless void with green kitchen scrubbies cut to fit the ramp and flush or barely below the surface of the pavers.
You'll have to change the scrubbies every year or two.
If that is not a footing drain, ignore this message.
And, seal the whole patio where it meets the house.
BTW, that's a nice looking entryway.
SamT
Looking at the first picture it looks like a one piece slab. In the later pictures is that a one piece slab (because you where talking repouring) or concrete "blocks"?And looking at the later picture the patio appears to be LOWER on the door than in the first picture.If that is a scored slab I would look at mud jacking.If it is pavers I would pick up 3 or 4 row and regrade the base.And while you are at it you can put in a french drain up against the foundation and run it out (if that is possible)..
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A-holes. Hey every group has to have one. And I have been elected to be the one. I should make that my tagline.
To the left of the door in the later pic, you can see the old slab line.I don't know about mudjacking next to a CMU basement wall. Heh! I don't know anything about mudjacking, when you get right down to numbers.Regrading the base would be better than not.SamT