How much water is in your basement? - PhillyBlog

Bah-Bo · #1 (**permalink**) 04-15-2007, 12:45 PM

....It's coming up pretty steadily through the grout lines between the ceramic tile...at least it's clean and clear and we have a pump but we'll still have to shop vac most of the basement that the pump won't be able to suck up....Just wondering how many others are in the same boat today and if anyone else has had the same problem and been able to repair it w/out spending a fortune.
We thought installing a sump pump would help but when we get heavy rains the water comes up through the grout in different parts of our basement and just creates big puddles.

ashleyf · #2 (**permalink**) 04-16-2007, 05:21 PM

there's atleast an inch, maybe two in some spots in my basement... i dont have a sump pump (yet) but have had a number of outrageous estimates. i don't know what to do... it has happened 4 times in the past year, this past weekend is by far the worst. towels aren't cutting it!

Shosh · #3 (**permalink**) 04-16-2007, 07:11 PM

I never get much and didn't this time -- nothing even close to measurable, but more like someone did a bad job mopping the floor. There's one particular area in the foundation wall that seems to be the seepage point, and then the water kind of heads toward the low point in the basement. However, it dried up pretty quickly; it was wet yesterday afternoon but completely dry (without my help) by early evening.

cerberus413 · #4 (**permalink**) 04-16-2007, 07:49 PM

I spent the day with the shopvac and two pails of Hydraulic cement to stem the tide...I stayed home today to finish cleaning up & patched more of the walls.

I recently purchased this house and hadnt really had much of a water issue until now...what do you expect with 5+ inches of rain!

Tim K · #5 (**permalink**) 04-16-2007, 11:52 PM

not really much you can do if it is coming through the walls. Sealing from the inside won't work. To really solve the problem you'd have to dig out the foundation from the outside and waterproof it....of course that is expensive...and with a traditional philly rowhouse you have neighbors on both sides.....plus stone and mortar foundation walls aren't exactly known to be water tight to begin with.

if it is coming up through the drain that is a different story. There could be a blockage in your sewer line or in the main out in the street. It could just be a partial blockage or a capacity issue. Either way you should see if your neighbors had the same problems then follow up with the city.

another REALTOR I talked to today said they had 17 houses with leaks and or water problems from Sunday's storm. I had a leaking skylight that I (thought) I fixed 6 months ago.

Bah-Bo · #6 (**permalink**) 04-17-2007, 10:09 AM

Hey Tim - who should we speak to in the city - every time it rains and especially on days like Sunday - we have clean, clear water coming up through the grout lines of our basement tile - Is there anything you know that we can do or call? Other than taking apart the entire house......The water never comes in under the walls but rather in the middle of the basement rooms and then spreads out. It's not the drainage pipe's fault from the back to the front yard since we've tested that by pouring water down it for an over and all was dry so we think it's just ground water that can't get soaked up fast enough. We just assumed we're SOL.....unless we want to spend 15k on redoing the basement.

Tim K · #7 (**permalink**) 04-17-2007, 11:21 AM

Is the water coming up around the drain in your basement but not through the drain?

First step is to see if your neighbors have the same problem. If all of your neighbors are reporting what appears to be backed up drains, then I'd call PWD and see what they say.

Bah-Bo · #8 (**permalink**) 04-17-2007, 11:34 AM

No, we don't even have a drain - we have a finished basement so it's all 12" ceramic tile. The water pools up in the lower areas of the basement which is usually in the middle of the room and then spreads out.
Our neighbors next door don't have a finished basement and they have a drain - they said they've always had water problems - same w/ others on our block. What could the PWD do? Seems like it's a drainage issue - too much rain water and nowhere to go....Thanks for your info!

GoBirds · #9 (**permalink**) 04-17-2007, 12:37 PM

I had water coming in right above my third floor windows (where the top of the window meets the header/brick) leaking through my dry-wall. It stopped as soon as the rain did. This often happens with a heavy, wind-driven rain. My home is approximately 70 years old (Windows = 20 yrs?). I thought at first that this could be happening because of crumbling mortar, which is prevalant. However, I heard that not having "weep holes" or adequate flashing above each window in the brick can cause leaking into the house due to the water not being able to escape the brick once it enters (old brick and mortar being pourous). Has anyone had similar problems? I'm leaning towards having the brick repointed.

Tim K · #10 (**permalink**) 04-17-2007, 02:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bah-Bo

No, we don't even have a drain - we have a finished basement so it's all 12" ceramic tile. The water pools up in the lower areas of the basement which is usually in the middle of the room and then spreads out.
Our neighbors next door don't have a finished basement and they have a drain - they said they've always had water problems - same w/ others on our block. What could the PWD do? Seems like it's a drainage issue - too much rain water and nowhere to go....Thanks for your info!

Oooh. Anyone want to bet that the people who refinished the basement tiled over the existing drain?????? I bet it is right in the middle of the basement....where the water starts to appear.