How do I repair nine pinhole size holes on the interior of my foundation?
Question:I have nine pinhole size holes on the interior of my foundation and need to know how to fix it. It looks as though it may have leaked with the previous owner and they patched it. The water is actually coming through the patch that is currently on the wall.
Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks
Answers:
Try a silicone based caulk or epoxy that you can inject into the holes. First remove the previous patching attempts as the problem will persist if you don't.
Also see if it is possible to redirect the water away from the areas where the holes are. If you have poor drainage it could damage the foundation in the future.
go to the hardware store and ask for "dry-loc", and cover the spot with it.
hydraulic cement will seal holes in concrete even if the wall is wet.
You cannot patch a wall from the inside that is under hydrostatic pressure, the water is creating a pressure within the soil around and is forcing it thru even the most minute holes.
Go outside to correct this problem. Locate where the leak is on the outside. Take a post hole digger and dig down along side the concrete wall until you hit the pea gravel fill, that should be about 3 or 4 feet.
Then fill that dug hole with crush rock. That will relieve the water ground pressure and allow the water to drain down into the piping that carries it to the sump pump. This is a permanent fix and works every time.
Hydraulic cement or epoxy will both give great results.
Home Depot or Menards carry a cement based caulk. Squeeze some into the holes... Then use a putty knife to really press it into the holes as much as possible.
If the holes are too tiny, then drill them a bit bigger so the caulk can flow all the way through them, then do the same as above.
When I say bigger... If the holes are pin-sized, don't drill them any bigger than about an 1/8 inch. Sure, you can go bigger, but the purpose is to keep the holes small, but still able to allow caulk to flow through the holes and seal into the entire length of each hole.
You also need to consider sealing the outside wall and possibly digging down below the foundation base and pouring a 4" - 8" layer of pea-gravel down, then install drain tile and pour more pea-gravel over the tile. Then tar and poly the outside wall with the poly running down the wall (insulation works the best - check with a building supply store for he right product) and over the foundation, but not over the pea-gravel and drain tile. Lapping the edge of the foundation basically.
First I would redirect the water flow which is causeing the leak..then id let it dry out and patch with a stucco or concrete mix..you can mix in small amounts and it is strong. You must find where the waer is getting in first though.
More Related Questions & Answers...