How To Fix A Wet Basement

Having a wet basement means you could have structural problems and even mold. The problem should be dealt with immediately.
Owning a home can be very rewarding, but it can also turn out to be a bit of a pain because of all the repairs that need to be performed on the home over the years. Keeping a home up to date means pouring money into the small things such as a new fence, landscaping, cutting the grass, painting, and so much more. One of those repairs that can occur more often then not is fixing a wet basement. It is possible for a homeowner to know how to fix wet basement issues on their own, but the endeavor can be costly if the problem is extensive.

Find the Source of the Leak

The first thing you will need to do is find the source of the leak before you can do anything else with the basement. The leak could be in the concrete walls, in a floor-to-wall joint, from a wide gap between the walls and the floor, a crack in the concrete floor, a leak in a pipe, a crack in an expansion control joint, or the failure of the sump pump.

Once you find the source of the leak in the basement you can head to your local hardware store to purchase the items you will need to fix whatever is damaged or broken.

Fix the Leaky Areas

Should your leak originate from any of theses areas, then you will need to do the following:

Concrete Walls: the cracks need to be permanently filled with any type of foundation crack repair and then seal the concrete walls with any type of concrete sealer you wish to purchase.

Floor-to-Wall Joint: cut out a 1/2″ deep with a grinder and then fill with Epoxy Crack Filler. You also need to seal the walls with a concrete sealer of your choice.

Gap Between Walls and Floor: You will need to stuff a foam backer rod into the gap and then fill with Epoxy Crack Filler.

Crack in Concrete Floor: purchase a concrete floor repair kit, fill the crack with this substance, and then seal the walls.
Pipe Leak: you have the option of calling a plumber, replacing the pipe yourself, or filling the opening in the pipe with a pipe gap filler kit.

Crack in Expansion Control Joint: you can use Epoxy Crack Filler to fix the source of the leak here.

Failure of Sump Pump: should the sump pump in your basement fail during a storm or because it is old you will need to purchase a new one and install it to fix the leak. You could also purchase a backup sump pump that will operate should the main one shut down. This will prevent any future leaks should the main sump pump stop working and a storm occurs.

Should you decide to perform the job of fixing wet basement issues on your own, the pricing will not knock you off your feet. For instance, crack filler for concrete will cost you anywhere from £4.95 to £54 depending on the type and size of crack filler that you purchase. You can purchase vinyl crack filler, concrete filler, and a large bucket of crack filler containing over two gallons from http://www.arc-rite.co.uk.