Hot answers tagged waterproofing
23
When applied correctly, I prefer waterproofing from the outside. It keeps the water out of the concrete, rather than permeating up to the interior water proof layer. If it's allowed to freeze in the foundation, you could have cracking.
In addition to water proofing the foundation, you also want a weeping tile or French drain around the foundation anywhere ...
11
Strangely enough, I have had to deal with this same problem a few times. Short of raising the garage or pouring a second higher floor, the solution is in the driveway. We had to excavate apx 6 feet of asphalt and create a gradual dip draining away from the house and garage to exit water. Obviously, they screwed up big time when the driveway was installed. ...
9
You can do all of this using weatherproof boxes and conduit; if you are not apposed to having conduit visible, and it will only require a single 3/4" hole through the wall.
Supplies:
1-gang rectangular weatherproof box.
round weatherproof box.
1-gang In-use cover.
3/4" PVC conduit.
3/4" male terminal adapters
3/4" PVC conduit clamps.
Procedure:
...
8
I am going to weigh in although I haven't had time to check specs etc on a couple of products I have used in the past. High moisture levels in a concrete floor can come form only two sources, insuffiecent curing time (new concrete) or ground water. The informal test you did with the plastic patch is a sure sign of excessive moisture in the floor. This means ...
7
Any Sheetrock, including green moisture resistant, is not intended for use in showers or any environment with repeated direct water contact. You can paint it , but the results will be the same, FAILURE ! Do not attempt to put tile on Drywall either. There are some new high tech backings or you can use good old fashion concrete board or hardi-backer for ...
7
I am a certified home inspector, so I am a little reluctant to answer this question. I will, however spill a few thoughts. In recent years, the tests you refer to have become fairly popular, but normally in houses that show some signs of water or mold. I personally would only recommend an infrared scan if there was suspicious water spots or paint peeling on ...
6
You definitely want your footings to extend below the frost line, otherwise as the ground freezes below your footing it will swell (as water does when it freezes) and the force of the swelling WILL push your footings out of position.
Ice breaks mountains - a porch doesn't stand a chance. :) Dig DEEP. With a frost line going as low as 4', I'd dig down 5.
...
6
I would second the comments recommending a second opinion. A sump is in the basement to allow water to be drained away if it accumulates around the footings. If there's no water there it quite probably means that your water table is low enough that there's not seepage. It also would indicate that you have decent drainage around the house and rain water is ...
6
I would cover the openings with plastic sheet or some other water proof material. It doesn't have to be perfect, just enough to prevent the rain getting onto sensitive surfaces. The timbers should be treated and should be able to withstand some rain, but you don't want water getting into the walls etc.
The main issue I see would be how to ensure it was ...
5
Based on the pics and the amount of movement alone, I'm guessing that the foundation for this slab was not properly prepared. I'd wager that someone simply dug a squareish hole a few inches deep, put in boards for forms and poured the concrete. Looks great for a while, but doesn't do squat to avoid shifting in cold weather when the water freezes.
A proper ...
5
Any sealant you put in will just have moisture build up under it and cause it to flake away after time, rot or disintegrate.
The problem is that the soil has high content of moisture.. if it was not like this 5,10 years ago it is most likely it will get worse, as somewhere nearby the ground water level is rising for some reason.
For most foundations on a ...
5
There is no paint-on or other surface treatment that will solve the problem. It may mitigate slightly, but under no circumstances will a surface application dry your basement enough to allow it to be finished. Any flooring will mold up pretty quickly.
There are two solutions which will solve the problem: An internal solution, which is a french drain and a ...
5
This does not sound like it will work. If you are sure that the moisture is coming up from below, paint will not stop it, it will only seep under the paint and start making bubbles. DryLok is a good idea, but it isn't made for the type of treatment a floor gets, I don't believe it would stand up well even if you covered it with a good quality paint.
I ...
5
If the surface is edge grain and the previous finish was only wax, wiping down with mineral spirits and then sanding using progressively finer grits up to 220 or so should be pretty good preparation to refinish. Skip the soap and water treatment as it won't dissolve any wax and only complicates finishing. Before applying any finish the wood should be ...
5
I am not an expert in this type of roofing, I do however have some questions and recommendations that may help you get the right answers.
First the questions. Is this roof drained with an internal system or scuppers along the edges? How large (square footage) is this roof? What part of the country are you in? Have you consulted an industrial/commercial ...
5
You can make watertight trays from flat sheet metal without soldering or riviting.
Take a sheet of metal whose
length is the length of the finished tray plus two time the height of the sides;
width is the width of the finished tray plus two time the height of the sides.
Fold the sheet so it ends up looking like this:
You can fold up one side at a ...
5
Let's start by saying the tile should be replaced. It still can be replaced even though the grout has been applied. I would insist on it.
There is little that can be done to repair the flawed tile, except sanding or grinding down the flaw. This would have to be done with extreme caution in order not to scratch and damage the area around the flaw. Perhaps ...
5
Based on questions answered in chat you have a case where the contractor didn't measure the deck properly, and built it too high, could not flash properly under the door frame, and performed a "some genius" move putting a transition strip (meant for interior use) over top of the door frame and the vinyl, with caulk under neath.
Stupid.
Two options: 1 ...
4
An Infrared camera can be used to look for water infiltration and damage. I would not recommended they for DIY use. They are expensive (low end models $1,000 US) and it takes a lot of training and experience to interpret the results. There may be a local IR company in your area that can assist.
4
The real solution is to prevent water from escaping the pipe by finding and fixing the initial leakage. This will most likely include getting to the upstairs neighbor and kindly asking him to assist with this problem and if he doesn't want to assist bring that to the building management, authorities and the court.
It will be very problematic to seal the ...
4
The concrete itself should be fine. Make sure water doesn't have anywhere it can pool, since standing water, concrete, and freezing temperatures can lead to cracking. I would protect any metal brackets or bolts intended to secure the framing to the foundation. And I would also protect any plumbing coming through the foundation. Where the water line is ...
4
Concrete itself is not waterproof, in fact, it's more like a sponge, so concrete alone is never used to create an impermeable surface. You haven't provided much info - is the roof flat, sloped? What is already up there? There are tons of different waterproofing methods available.
Going under the assumption that it was properly waterproofed at some point, ...
4
It is normal to fix the leak by the vent pipe using roofing cement from the outside. It is hard to provide guidance on specific details for your case because we have not seen your vent pipe location and installation technique but here are some things to consider.
There is normally a metal, plastic or rubber flashing piece that fits around the vent pipe ...
3
I would suggest using composite or PVC lumber in this application. Composite boards are moisture and rot proof. They are made with wood fibers and recycled plastics. Most are paintable so you can match colors. The other choice is PVC boards. Some are paintable, but most should be used in the factory color. If you do paint PVC, use a product that is ...
3
Questions you need to answer:
Does your cat fit? we ended up buying a small dog door for our enormous cat.
Can your cat figure out how to go through the door? Ours eventually was able to get through, but would bolt in/out because his tail would get caught otherwise. Some cats never figure out the flap-kind. Try it out in a local store if they'll let you ...
3
Is there a good way to find out, and possibly drain this water out?
A drill with a concrete bit should do the trick.
Will a dehumidifier work in this situation?
A basement in most climates (any place with somewhat humid summers) should likely have a dehumidifier regardless. So it definitely won't hurt.
3
You'll absolutely need to cut back the siding and attach directly to the home. For the siding, you need two custom tools. The first is a small hook for unhooking a piece of siding from the piece below. Use this to remove all the pieces that are currently where you want to install the plate. Get a role of tyvek tape to cover up all the holes left from ...
3
More stuff doesn't always mean better. Sometimes it means more expensive, or sometimes it means overcompensating for other weaknesses in the structure. Or sometimes it means old contractors who just don't want to give up their stubborn ways.
In your case, the waterproofing should be the parging layer. That should be some form of rubberized sealer that ...
3
First does the patio roof have eaves drops/gutters? If not I would recommend installing them. This will help divert some of the rain water away from the deck and keep water from splashing on the deck. If you still get a lot of water at your door after the eaves drop/gutters you can then try one of the following:
1) Re-grade the deck away from the doors ...
3
Rather than go to the trouble and expense of tying external insulation from below ground to the siding, I'd let them stop with the below ground insulation. It at least will add a little extra R value.
Then, since your basement is unfinished, but you do use it, I'd go ahead and add additional insulation on the inside of the house* - from the ceiling on ...
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