How to Prevent Basement Water Leaks

Cracked basement walls are often the source of many wet basements. To mitigate the risk of foundation cracks and basement water leaks, proper excavation is essential. All topsoil and clay material should be removed from the foundation site area. Several inches to a foot of large 2 inch diameter, angular gravel should then be placed into the excavated hole and compacted. By taking these steps the concrete footings are ensured to be resting on solid and stable earth. By ensuring a stable footing there is less likelihood that foundation settling will occur, which is often what causes cracked foundation walls.

Next, when installing the foundation, a network of gravel and drainage pipes should be installed around the base of the foundation, at the footing level, that channels water away from the home. The perforated PVC drain piping should extend away from the home to a low spot on the property far away from the foundation. By creating a perimeter drain system around the foundation, any water that drains down around the basement walls will hit the perimeter foundation drain and be channeled away from the home to the low spot on the property. A perimeter drain system is one of the best solutions for preventing basement water leaks.

The second step to take to prevent basement leaks during the construction phase of the home is to seal the exterior basement walls. The basement sealer should be applied from the footing level up to the expected finished grade of the soil.

Third, when backfilling around the basement foundation walls sandy soil material should be used to allow the surface water to easily drain away from the foundation walls. The backfilling material should also be compacted firmly to remove any air in the soil adjacent to the foundation walls to prevent eventual soil settling and depressions to form. Finally, when grading the soil around the basement walls the soil should be sloped away from the home. The slope should be at least 1 inch per foot for the first 5 to 10 feet around the perimeter of the foundation walls.

How to Prevent Basement Water Leaks after the Home is Built

If your home is already built and you are contending with a leaky and wet basement there are a number of things you can do to prevent basement water leaks.

Then apply the hydraulic cement to the cracks. Make sure to firmly pack the hydraulic cement into the cracks and to wipe off any excess material using a trowel.

If these issues do not cure your basement water leaks, then you may have no choice but to consider putting in a perimeter drain around the foundation walls. This is an expensive endeavor for preventing basement water leaks, but maybe your only choice. To install a perimeter drain it will require excavating around the foundation wall down to the footing level and then installing the gravel and perforated drain pipes as I described earlier.