Basement Water Behind Paneled Wall

[Don G.]

I've been in the same house for 21 years now. I had water on the UN-finished side of my basement for a number of years. At some point a few years back, I saw that it was leaking in through a small crack in the wall of the foundation. I chiseled out a 'V', and filled it in with Hydraulic Cement and it seems to have worked really well. Hardly any water ever anymore.

Anyway,my house also has a finished side of the basement. It's finished with knotty pine paneling that's pretty old, and each piece seems to interlock with each other. Now a days it's what they call "retro".

After all these years, I finally saw some water on the finished side. I know about where it came in, but to repair the wall in the same manner I did on the un-finished side, I'll need to take down the paneling. By the way, a nice new suspended ceiling is attached to the paneling, too.

I guess I could cut out a few of the panels in the area where I suspect the leak, repair the wall of the foundation, then.... then what? The panels interlock, and the ceiling is attached on top. I'd have to cut the panels near the top, remove them, and when I'm done with the foundation wall, I guess I could build in some kind of lath behind them to re-attach them.

Helpful input is welcome!

Thanks.

[aemeijers]

Other alternative is to get a shovel, and dig on the outside, and patch the crack there. Assuming of course you can narrow down the location.

[John Gilmer]

There are some "tricks" used by fly by night "foundation repair" folks.

One is to dump lots of gypsum where the leaks seem to be coming from. The gypsum is slightly soluble in the water. If the basement has any heat, the gypsum will dry on the basement side and plug the leak. It also helps, of course, to divert water away from the foundation.

[bob haller]

a interior french drain installer may be able to cut a trench in the floor, drill into each block cavaity, and install underground drain to a sump pump.

while your doing this dont overlook the source of the water...

have clogged gutters or a leaking downspout or drain somewhere? neighbor do something dumb so water is running on your property causing the wet basement?

investigate why this is a issue after living there so long...... something must of changed