Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, October 29, 1995 TAG: 9511010018
SECTION: HOMES PAGE: D-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: STEVE ELDER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Leaky basements should always be cured if possible, for a variety of good reasons. It's no fun mopping the basement floor at 2 a.m. Or repacking stored belongings because the cardboard boxes fell apart. Or pulling up new carpeting to dry it out, if not replace entirely. Keeping things in the basement dry is important, but even more important is protecting the foundation of the house. Cracks on the exterior brickwork are almost always water-related. If there is chronic dampness under a portion of the foundation, that bit of damp earth will not support the weight of the house as well as the adjoining dry earth, so the footing will settle slightly, causing those neat, stepped cracks in the above-ground brickwork.
Finally, termites are fond of damp conditions, so remove the welcome sign by drying the basement out.
The cause and cure of leaky basements are widely misunderstood, even by building professionals. It is virtually impossibly to actually ``waterproof'' a basement - unless you bury a submarine and build on top of it. (Even then the dryness lasts only until the hull rusts through.)
Only a 100 percent water-tight structure will prevent seepage totally. This can seldom be created, even at very high cost.
Sump-pump drain systems make no attempt to waterproof a basement.
They only catch water seeping in and pump it back out. It's better to keep the water from getting that far. The real goal is to treat the problem, not the symptom. An ounce of prevention is truly worth a pound of cure - and usually far cheaper.
All basements and crawl spaces are potentially leaky. The frequency and extent depends primarily on the drainage conditions around the house.
The source of water problems in basements is usually surface run-off after rainfall. Roughly 90 percent of rainfall will run off the surface of the ground - the trick is to keep it from running toward the foundation.
Granted, occasionally there are underground springs or a rock ledge to channel groundwater toward the foundation, but these are far and away the exceptions, not the rule.
As with all problem-solving, try the simple and statistically likely solutions first. Look at the obvious things. When was the last time the gutters were cleaned? If gutters are clogged with leaves, debris and tennis balls, water is going to spill over the gutter right next to the house. Clean them at least twice a year - more often if near oak trees.
Make sure the gutter is firmly secured to the fascia board and slopes towards the downspout. Also, make sure the downspout directs the water away from the foundation. This can be done by affixing a corrugated black vinyl extension to the end of the downspout. Check the downspouts as well as the gutters for obstructions. Good gutter maintenance is the first line of defense.
Finally, examine the lay of the land around your home. If the goal is to divert surface run-off away from the house, then the soil shouldn't be sloping toward the foundation. If it does, change it. Order some clean fill dirt (try a local landscaping company), place it around the flat or inwardly-sloped areas, rake it to get a 6-to-8-inch slope extending 3 to 4 feet away from the foundation, then tamp it firmly.
Do not use sand or gravel - water should flow away from the house, not soak in.
After regrading in this fashion, protect the soil from erosion by adding sod, mulch (gravel is OK on top of the soil), or other ground cover.
Most projects can be done for under $300. This includes the cost of a wheelbarrow, shovel, rake, tamper, a couple of downspout extensions and a truckload of dirt.
With all the money saved by doing it yourself, go ahead and finish the basement!
Steve Elder is a Roanoke home inspector. Questions and comments may be sent to him in care of The Roanoke Times, P.O. Box 2491, Roanoke, Va. 24010-2491.
by CNB