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I found out that there was leak in my garage. And the wood is Rotten around that area and mold is growing. I started looking for any reason removed soil from outside and found out that break is broken and foundation is broken from some of the areas even plant roots was deep inside the wall. Tried to fill the gap using expanding foam but still can see the water seeping. I don’t know what to do my friend said it’s foundation issue. But I can’t afford to fix. What can I do now can I use hydraulic cement from outside? Or What can be used to stop the leak from outside ?enter image description here

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**rotten wood i felled gap with foam **

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  • Please clarify: 1) is this a basement? 2) is the wall made of brick with backfill against it? 3) where is the photo (one above the last) taken, inside, or outside of the house? 4) if this is a basement, do you have water on the floor? Do you see cracks on the wall?
    – r13
    Mar 10, 2021 at 16:02
  • It’s my garage. Yes it’s brick . I took photo from outside the garage and inside that corner is leaking water and the wood is rotten.photo1 and 5 is inside the garage corner and the rest of the photos showing the brick and foundation broken areas. I was digging around to see from where is the water seeping. But there is lots of water gathering in that area could not dig more
    – Anna
    Mar 10, 2021 at 16:08
  • I am trying to figure out two things: 1) source of the water, ground water or surface (rain) water. 2) Is the first photo taken inside of your garage? It seems underground space though - wetting below the concrete floor beam. Correct me, if I am wrong.
    – r13
    Mar 10, 2021 at 16:44
  • Does it have a DPC? Was it built entirely as a new construction or on top of an old one? The bricks in the bottom couple of courses look decades older than the rest. At what level is the concrete floor compared to the course on the outside - you might have to draw a line on a new picture to clarify that. I've never known anyone have to underpin a garage, but if it's really bad that might be your solution.
    – Tetsujin
    Mar 10, 2021 at 17:24
  • It is old building 1950.. The first photo is inside the garage. And yea the water is from underground water and it is wetting bellow concert I guess.
    – Anna
    Mar 10, 2021 at 17:41

1 Answer 1

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Sealing it really isn't solving your problem as your house isn't a boat. Below is what I would suggest to start. This can be done yourself but I'd suggest having an engineer look at the foundation to at least give you an idea of it's condition. 1 - Make sure you're not contributing to the water problem.

  • All down spouts should be draining at least 6 feet (ideally more)
    from the structure to a spot that is either flat or continues to
    slope away from the structure. IMPORTANT NOTE - Don't use
    perforated pipe for atleast the first 6 feet(ideally more). This is one of the most common mistakes that even builders make today. Check that black pipe you have on the down spot and make sure there aren't any small holes in it.
  • If you have sprinklers, shut them off at the source for a week to see if that reduces the water. If it does, you may be overwatering or have a cracked line.
  • If this is a recent problem, check to see if your water bill has unexpectedly gone up. If so, you may have a cracked main line coming into the house.
  • If you have neighbors whose yards are higher than yours, water may be draining off of their property to yours. Depending on how close they are, they could have downspouts that are properly sloped away from their home, but are feeding stright into yours.

2 - You need to get the water draining away from the foundation. This needs to be done no matter what issues may be causing this. This can be done in a variety of ways. The proper slope away from the foundation depends on where you live. But anything will help to some degree. If you look online, you'll find a lot of information including things you can do yourself for little money, but will take some work on your part.

Update - @Anna, after looking at a couple of your other posts, and assuming this is the same house, I wanted to add a couple of notes.

  • In your crawlspace, it appears there is a concrete foundation, however you had stated that the foundation from the outside was brick. By foundation, I mean what is supporting the house underground. For a house that age, it would be somewhat odd to have a small brick foundation like the bricks you see on the outside. More common would be cinder block (gray in color, about 16 inches wide by 8 inches tall) or the concrete as you see in the crawlspace. It is possible you have both if the foundation had deteriorated (possibly due to this water issue) and so they put a "sister" foundation in next to the original foundation which is why you'd see brick on one side, and concrete on the other. Either way, the ground outside should be a good 6-12 inches below the top of the foundation. If it snows in your area, it should probably be 12 inches. Call your city permit office and ask if they know.

  • Both the recent cracking in the outer brick and the more recent popped nails mentioned in your other posts could indicate that the water problem you're seeing is getting underneath the foundation, compacting the soil, and causing it to sink ever so slightly. All is not lost, you just need to deal with the water issue, and call a structural engineer in your area to come and take a look at things. If money is an issue, focus on at least getting the water directed away from the foundation. This can be accomplished by digging a small trench with a slope away from the house. All you need is a spade shovel and time. Put the dirt on either side of the little trench to help create a ridge. You might be able to get away with digging a trench only a shove wide (10 inches) and the same amount deep. It's the Basin concept seen in the upper left of the illustration below. If you start where you already have water, you'll know you're deep enough if the water that is pooled starts going down your trench.

Here's an infographic but there's information all over the internet.

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  • @Anna This is a very sound advice. As suggested, I think you can 1) cut the existing downspout about 12"-18", then reconnect the lower pipe, so it is slopping and away from the house; and 2) regrade the ground, so no ponding will occur near the house. These actions will alleviate the problem caused by surface water. After that, keep an eye on changes and improves. By the way, you might have ground water problem, but if no visible defects/cracks on the wall and slab, I will hold "wait and see" attitude, as it does not seem you have foundation problem that required immediate attention/action.
    – r13
    Mar 10, 2021 at 21:24
  • @Anna Cutting the "vertical run" and reconnect a longer horizontal run with rigid elbow. Also, grass or planting ground climber near the wall can help to absorb the water. You should cut the tree/shrub roots too close to wall though. Good luck.
    – r13
    Mar 10, 2021 at 21:42
  • Yes I think my house is lower than my neighbor. They have drainage system which is next to my garage. Not sure if that is the issue is it possible the pipe is broken which is leaking water to my side? I noticed sloped area next to the garage full of water.
    – Anna
    Mar 10, 2021 at 23:17
  • I just want to add I noticed more water all around concrete floor in the garage. But there is no cracks not sure how this water seeping in the garage. Does this mean there is pipes under my garage ???
    – Anna
    Mar 10, 2021 at 23:28
  • @Anna your neighbor's drainage system may be deteriorating or broken (a pipe, plastic barrier, etc.). Could also be overwhelmed by too much water and overflowing. Approach them gently, they may not know a lot about it (age, setup, etc.) and you don't want to come off as accusing them. As for the additional water, concrete is porous so water can be coming from the side or below. During heavy rains, groundwater (water that's naturally in the earth) can rise and come up through the concrete. And yes, a broken pipe under or next to your garage, could cause this as well.
    – Rudabaugh
    Mar 11, 2021 at 4:18

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