Hello! I recently acquired an older log house with a basement added sometime in the early 1900s. The wall around the basement consists of natural stone with cement mortar, and as far as I know, it is completely undrained. The basement is unfinished and quite damp, but nothing affects the floor joists according to the latest inspection. However, the previous owner made a change just before we bought it, by relocating the incoming water. They excavated a small section of the basement wall and drilled through the aforementioned stone blocks to run water pipes through, "sealing" with construction foam. See picture.
My problem now, however, is that when it rains or the ground is wet (not now in winter, of course), water leaks into the penetration. This causes large puddles on the basement floor, and particularly, the basement stairs have slowly started to rot where they contact the concrete floor, and it always gets wet. Part of the problem is that the basement wall is undrained, but it also feels like this penetration could be sealed better! Does the forum have any suggestions?
I'm considering, without having talked to anyone, another sealing material that is waterproof, such as SikaSwell or Gummiasfalt or something similar...
My problem now, however, is that when it rains or the ground is wet (not now in winter, of course), water leaks into the penetration. This causes large puddles on the basement floor, and particularly, the basement stairs have slowly started to rot where they contact the concrete floor, and it always gets wet. Part of the problem is that the basement wall is undrained, but it also feels like this penetration could be sealed better! Does the forum have any suggestions?
I'm considering, without having talked to anyone, another sealing material that is waterproof, such as SikaSwell or Gummiasfalt or something similar...
Natural stone is not always waterproof. The leak may be due to previous protective clay being removed from the stone. It is not certain that anything else will help instead of foam sealer. Probably a larger part of the stone's exterior needs to be insulated with asphalt. The implementation is done unskillfully.
Yes, it doesn't feel very professional with "påkletat" foam sealant... It's undoubtedly leaking at the penetration, though, so a simple solution might be to remove as much foam as possible and seal with something better?
If I MUST dig it out, it's 1.5 m of gravel that needs to go, sigh...
If I MUST dig it out, it's 1.5 m of gravel that needs to go, sigh...
Yes, a temporary budget solution could be to remove a few cm of the foam sealant from the inside and seal it with silicone or similar material. Then keep an eye on it. If it is not completely sealed, you'll have to dig up the outside in the summer.
I do not believe at all that it is the foam sealant that is leaking, but rather that the natural stone may have been dislodged and created even larger joints around it.
Additionally, it looks like there has been moisture exposure in that area for a long time.
Additionally, it looks like there has been moisture exposure in that area for a long time.
It drips from the foam itself, nowhere else. It was last spring when the work was done, so all summer it leaked during rain...
Suggestions for a suitable variety? I have two examples in the first post, but I have no idea what I should actually choose...
Go into a plumbing store and ask for suggestions. It should also work well with the PEM pipe.
The house has been sold for a few years. 😅 I actually tried to increase the permeability of rainwater in the soil outside by drilling several holes along that wall with a soil auger and filling them with clean gravel. It got somewhat better. Then I replaced the foam sealant with another material, but I don't quite remember now what it was, unfortunately. I think I tried some asphalt. Good luck!