How To Repair A Basement Wall Crack

Maren is a ane-person fixer of "TLC Needed" houses. She explains methods simply to homeowners who are non in the construction trades.

One paint that fills cracks in masonry is the Drylok make.

Maren Morgan

Crash Grade in Basement Leak Repair

I bought a business firm. The house had challenges.

When I looked around to see who could help me repair it, I observed me, myself, and I. This was not necessarily a bad thing, but it did require learning new skills.

I didn't exploit my wonderful neighbors by trying to induce them to do my piece of work, but I did talk to them for advice. They gave me great suggestions and product recommendations. Thank you, all!

Here are the happy results of my crash course in basement leak repair.

Step 1: Detect to Find the Source of the Leak

In existent estate, the mantra is "location, location, location." I say that house repair requires looking, looking again, and and so really observing over time.

Among my wet basement bug, one easy-to-spot challenge was a forepart corner that got a puddle of water every time it rained.

Following are the observation steps I took, sometimes even photographing the site. (With jail cell phones, it's easy and valuable to record problems.)

I checked this corner several times a calendar week unrelated to exterior weather. I wanted to decide if the wetness seemed primarily rain-related or possibly continued to super-saturated soil in my thousand.
Every fourth dimension it rained, whether lightly, medium-ly, or heavily, I ran down to the basement many times to see if and when the puddle appeared. (It turned out that even light rain started the wetness in that corner.)
Every time it rained, I ran down to try to determine where the wetness started.
After each rain effect ended, I carefully cleaned and dried the corner and then I could start with a bare, clean slate for the next observation.

My Observations

If this was a 7th-grade science fair project, I would call my guesses hypotheses. Meet, gang? That scientific discipline fair methodology really can be applied to real life!

My kickoff ready of observations was that the puddle increased in size immediately during the lightest of rains. Since I had only put on a new roof, with careful attention given to the decking underneath the shingles, I was ruling out leaks from the roof above causing the basement trouble.

For my get-go anti-wetness step, I decided to pigment the corner both inside and out. I recommend this as a strategy for you, also.

Pace 2: Choose the Right Paint

I used DRYLOK Latex paint. I will always opt for a latex paint over an oil paint due to the ease of cleaning up later with only soap and h2o. This Drylok pigment is white and looks and feels as if a bucket of sand is mixed into it. That "sandy" feature is fantabulous because the sandy bits are what fill up the tiny pores and crevices. Look for Drylok or something else especially designed to make full cracks.

(All in all, by the finish of the process I used about three gallons.)

Pace 3: Paint the Wet Spot on the Within

Clean the area thoroughly. This is no small job. Castor away all loose concrete bits, insect carcasses, dust, droppings, etc. Fifty-fifty vacuum the wall to get the tiniest bits of dust out.

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Step 4: Paint Outside the Leak Site

I did not call back it necessary, nor did I have the time and coin, to do an entire French drain, PVC pipes, or other complicated projects to lead water away from the foundation of my house. However, since the holding had been neglected, I figured that a little painting of the unpainted foundation could but aid.

At the corner of the leak, I dug well-nigh four inches of soil abroad and allowed time for the cinder cake foundation to dry. Earthworks down iv inches is not, or hopefully should not be, difficult for you lot.

Then I painted the exposed expanse with Drylok.

Later it dried for a few days, I pushed the soil back in place, taking care to make it slope away from the house.

This is not rocket scientific discipline. Y'all can do information technology.

Footstep 5: Observe With Your Nose Side by side to the Wall

Obviously, in a mission to stop leaking basement walls, one checks oftentimes to see if the corrective measures work. And then I did. And so should y'all.

I was able to come across a reduction in the puddle size, but it still reappeared. Even so, every bit I applied a coat of regular primer on the wall, quite closely, I was amazed to find a horizontal razor-thin gap in the cinder block course near 30 inches (76 centimeters) broad and 1/8 of an inch (half a centimeter) tall.

Sugariness expletives! This explained quite a bit. The reason I had not spotted it earlier was that it was below my heart level, and the upper row of blocks at this gap really formed a one-half-inch (1 centimeter) cantilever-way overhang above the adjacent row. Whoever heard of a sidewall that was non a level aeroplane?

Holy moly! And then, this is why I say one's olfactory organ must be within four inches of the suspected leak expanse. It is not for the purpose of smelling the trouble; it is for a very close visual inspection.

Stride 6: Patch the Concrete

All righty then, it was fourth dimension to fill in obvious gaping holes with concrete. I used QUIKRETE brand. In that location is also a pre-mixed class of information technology, merely I don't heed mixing upwardly the amount I demand in an old soup can. All yous do is add water and stir! But follow the directions and fill the hole.

Later a few days of allowing the patch to dry, I repainted this area with Drylok.

Quikrete is as easy as playdough to use. — Quikrete is as like shooting fish in a barrel equally playdough to employ.

M.One thousand.

Step 7: Utilise Spray Foam Sealer

As I once again had my face up close to the wall while applying primer where the house sits on the cinder blocks, I was appalled to see little pinpricks of sunlight. This is not supposed to exist possible. The firm should not have gaps, notwithstanding small, along its connection to the basement. These leaks obviously contributed to cold temperature in the basement (I live in a four-season area), and perhaps was permitting moisture into the basement. They had to be airtight.

I used a spray foam sealer: Dandy STUFF Gaps and Cracks Insulating Foam Sealant to fill up those holes. Alert if you lot've never used this sealant: it expands immediately, and then you apply less than you call up is needed and and then lookout what happens.

Then for proficient measure, I stuffed empty plastic grocery bags in those spaces to provide further insulation.

Great Stuff gets yellow, bubbly and hard. — Great Stuff gets yellow, bubbly and difficult.

M.Thou.

Step eight: Apply More Drylok as Needed

The proficient news was that the puddle became smaller when it appeared. The non-so-skillful news was that in that location was still water in that corner. Then, exist a Sherlock Holmes. Go on watching. I continued with stride two from in a higher place:

Every time information technology rained, whether lightly, medium-ly, or heavily, I ran down to the basement many times to see if and when the puddle appeared.

By doing this, I was able to see that a tiny trickle of water started at 2 pinholes in a cinder block about xxx inches above the floor. They were similar two little vampire fang puncture holes, only ten inches apart. Very strange, but I didn't care—all I cared about was endmost them. After cleaning and drying them, I applied several more coats of Drylok to the area.

Hallelujah!

Of course, I kept observing after this step.

In dry weather, it was dry out.

And so, my area had a large rainstorm that dumped ii inches of atmospheric precipitation in 24 hours. Approximate what?

The corner of my basement was completely dry!

Persistence, Continual Ascertainment, and Changes

If my 57-year-quondam, not-construction-experienced, stubborn self can fix a basement leak, you can, too! Be stubborn! Be persistent! And keep examining and attacking the moisture spot until it is gone.

You got it! But...

As we all know, the globe shifts, groundwater adjusts, and an underground channel of rain may decide to visit your repaired basement foundation. Do not regard it every bit a personal failure if a little wet reappears a few years after your set. Be set up to use all the same steps again.

Climate Change, More Frequent and Severe Storms, More than Flooding

I never thought I'd see what is happening with weather and climate in my lifetime.

Insurance companies and the U.Due south. military are totally aware of the changes in the severity of storms, temperatures, and coastal submersion.

I am sorry that more than of us volition need to exist using the skills in this commodity.

However, I'm glad to pass along the noesis and promise it is a temporary Band-aid while we all do more than to mitigate and reverse global warming and its consequences.

Please exercise something for futurity generations.

Steps for Stopping a Basement Wall Crack Leak

Observe the problem surface area oft.
Apply a masonry waterproofing paint every bit many times as needed.
If possible, class soil to slope abroad from the house.
Make full larger cracks with concret patch or foam sealant.
Employ more waterproofing pigment.
Continue observations, trouble-solving, praying, and painting until the area stays dry out.

When to Call a Professional person

If the described steps don't work after several tries, yous may have a bigger problem than the 1 I conquered. If that'due south the case, please start shopping for bigger guns (pros) to help you lot.

This article is accurate and true to the best of the author's knowledge. Content is for informational or entertainment purposes only and does not substitute for personal counsel or professional advice in concern, financial, legal, or technical matters.

Questions & Answers

Question: Can nosotros put a blanket of stucco mix over drylock and and then reseal with drylock?

Answer: It sounds practice-able to me.

Aimee on Feb 18, 2022:

I'k currently fixing a leak in my basement wall. It has a dandy big gob of great stuff sprayed on there from the previous owner. I've painted drylock simply when I get close to the not bad stuff the drylock seems cause the great stuff to pull abroad from the wall and that original leak has started again. I'yard tempted to paint more drylock on the leak, but am worried the slap-up stuff will react? Not sure if any of that made sense, simply since you used both I was wondering if y'all had experience with this?

Maren Elizabeth Morgan (writer) from Pennsylvania on Nov 05, 2022:

Hi. Kickoff of all, DryLok is Non approved for that use on the floor. I used it only in one corner and generally on the wall. The part on the floor was probably 2 sq feet at most. The wall took repeated applications! I would propose you to await at all the kinds of Quikrete products bachelor now. Best wishes.

Chantal on November 03, 2022:

You said y'all used three gallons of DryLok for your basement. Was it your entire basement? What are the dimensions? I'm looking to reseal my mom'southward floor and need a guesstimate of how much I'd need if i used that product. Thanks!

Source: https://dengarden.com/basements/How-to-Fix-Basement-Leak-DIY-Basement-Wall-Crack-Repair-that-Even-Novices-Can-Do