Replies

1. 
   Dinosaur | Dec 30, 2003 05:40am | #1

   If you're in a flood zone, your problem water will be coming up the basement wall from under ground, instead of down from the sky as rain--is that your situation? Or are you talking surface flooding with no essential ground saturation? Depending on the situation, you set up your flashings to shed water the way it will be arriving....

   If your problem is going to be deep, standing flood water, then I'm not sure what to suggest.

   I can't think of any good way to really seal that joint against standing  or running (as in river overflow) water in a flood situation. The basic premise of waterproofing is that you can't stop water, you can only convince it to go somewhere else by giving it an easier path...

   If you are going to have your house sitting in what is essentially a swimming pool for extended periods of time, you probably should have built the entire foundation inside a huge, seamless, butyl-rubber bag that ran up the walls far enough to get the top edge above the 100-year flood line.

   Dinosaur

   'Y-a-tu de la justice dans ce maudit monde?

1. 
   bushhogger | Dec 31, 2003 05:32am | #3

   Hey thanks for responding, Dinosaur.  I'm not concerned with flooding.  I've got

   so much backfill around my house I'm like an island out here.  And, besides, my

   finished floor is 5ft above the hundred year flood (which gives me a nice 9ft

   ceiling in my basement).  No, my main concern is rain running down the walls

   behind the water proof membrane and trickling into my basement (I thought

   icf's were water tite!).   So, any thoughts?

1. 
   Dinosaur | Dec 31, 2003 05:56am | #5

   Flash it.

   Tuck some heavy-gauge galvanized flashing up inside the stucco, then down outside the membrane. Glue it in place with roofing pitch. Make sure you have the shop that fabricates it create a fold-back 'crush' on the down edge (the fold-back must go to the inside), and it should be bent outward just a tad so drips off it will fall clear to the ground and can't roll back uphill to the inside by capillary action.

   The flashing should go at least 6" up under the stucco (12" is better if you can manage it), and drop below the top edge of your membrane by at least 6" as well.

   If you're concerned about æsthetics you can paint it; remember to use a primer for galvanized metal first.

   Dinosaur

   'Y-a-tu de la justice dans ce maudit monde?

2. 
   Piffin | Dec 30, 2003 06:18am | #2

   There are different kinds of flood zones. What is the reason yours is likely to be flooded? The Feds have rules for how to deal with this,

   Frankly I am confused because one of those rules prevents you from having any living space finished floor less than one foot above the max flood elevation. The other thing that confuses me is the idea of a basement with a slab on grade. Basements are built below grade. Maybe you could clarify your use of terms ...

   .

   Excellence is its own reward!

1. 
   bushhogger | Dec 31, 2003 05:42am | #4

   Thanks for responding, piffin.  As for the flood situation,  my finished floor is

   5ft above hundred flood.  And, besides, I've got so much backfill around my

   house that I look like an island out here.  So,  I'm not concerned about flooding.

   (I do keep my canoe tie up nearby...).  My concern is rain running down the walls

   behind the waterproof membrane and trickling into the basement.  Oh, by the

   way, the slab is on grade giving me  a nice basement with a 9ft ceiling.  Back to

   leaking.  What's a good way to treat the joint between stucco and the membrane?

1. 
   Piffin | Dec 31, 2003 06:12am | #6

   I still don't see the concern. The idea of the membrane is to provide water a place to run instead of being held up against the wall by soil until it leaks in.

   You provide the water a place to go other than into the house.

   So the drainage material leads water to the perimeter drain which ( Normally leads to daylight) in your case must lead to a sump pump.

   You do have a perimeter drain leading to a sump, right?.

   Excellence is its own reward!