hairline crack help

[Scott Martin]

I purchased a house last year and only noticing a very, very think hairline crack in my below ground basement concrete wall (maybe a foot in length). When a heavy rain occurs (really heavy), some water tends to get in and pools on the floor. How can I take care of this thin crack? I've tried some instant concrete powder which stopped it for a few days but now that is not working. I heard of some stuff I can inject into the crack and expands, like a needle etc...any ideas?

Some notes: Our neighbours driveway is paved right to the foundation of our house (long story, but the guy who lived in the house before be let him do this)....would this be causing the problem? It is not sloping towards the house and not sloping away either, its pretty level.

I recently installed rain gutters but it didn't help

Any help or insight would be appreciated

Scott

[SQLit]

The expanding sealers will only help if at all temporality. Only sure way I know of is to dig up the area and install a French drain.

And you bought this house with the encroachment? Neighbors driveway on my property not even going to happen.

[Art]

If the encroachment is not properly recorded you can and should have it removed.

Hydraulic cement will help for a while. How old is the house. Might it have an outside French drain which is plugged?

[Jeff]

When it rains see if water is puddling up on the drive way near your house. You could try caulking between the driveway and house. If you are lucky this may do it. Sometimes water is flowing underground quite a way and you may have difficulty figuring out the source.

Obviously last resort is to dig down to base of the foundation and put a drain system in.

[scott21230]

Exactly how did you try the concrete patch? If applied from the inside it will fail for sure.

[skp]

You may want to try a negative hydrostatic product. This is an elastomeric type product that is designed for basements and can handle negative hydrostatic forces (water infiltration). A product that I have had decent success with is Sanitred. (you can go to the website

I live in Michigan and all older basements seem to have water infiltration.

[Toller]

If it has been like that for years, was done with the owner's knowledge, and was purchased like that, it is probably permanent.

Part of my fence is on a neighbor's property; my lawyer told me not to worry about it. I have a structure that blocks a deeded right of way; another lawyer told me there wasn't anything they could do about it. In both cases it was done 20 years ago, long before I bought the property.

[Art]

Adverse Possesion is probably 20 years in your state.