Concrete slab cracked all over - water coming in

[Lou]

Hi guys,

About 2 years ago, I removed my basement carpet because I was getting floods underneath. When I removed it, I saw that the entire slab was filled with cracks - probably over 100 cracks. Water was coming in through all the cracks. I live in Staten Island NY where there is a VERY HIGH water table. Anyway, I had a contractor tell me it was because I had cracks in my walls. He ripped down my paneling, found a crack and filled it. The next day, I had the same problem. I bough hydraulic cement and filled all the cracks. The water stopped. I then installed a sump pump.

Fast forward to now, the water is back. I now know that hydraulic cement is only a temporary repair. I will now use an epoxy injection such as Emecole 555. Finally, here is my question. What can I do to propoerly address all the cracks in the slab? When I look at it, I feel like it needs a thick layer, say two inches or so, of some sort of cementious or epoxy product. What can I do to stop this water problem? I was originally advised by a few contractors to either fix the cracks in the wall, install sump pumps, install a french drain, etc. I did two out of three and neither worked. I want to avoid the french drain if possible - I dont want to do it myself and dont have an extra $4000 to pay to a contractor who will offer no guarantee that this will solve my problem. Please help me out. Thanks.

Lou

[aemeijers]

Hate to say it, but sounds like you are between a rock and a hard place big time. I am assuming you have ruled out surface water coming down outside of basement wall from ponding? If water is coming up from below hard enough to float the slab and crack it, that lot should never have had a basement in the first place. French drains may help. but it sounds like you may need existing slab removed (not topped over) ,and substrate dug out and done over, with some heavy-duty drainage/sump pits, and a new slab poured.

I can't remember the proper name for the specialty, but their are engineers who specialize in stuff like this- bore some holes around the house and in basement floor, look at the topo and water table maps, and in general figure out where the water is coming from. You probably need to find one of them. An independent one, of course, not one that gets a kickback from contractor that does the work.

[despen]

Unless you can dig a large trench all around the outside of your house, a french drain is part of the right solution.

You obviously have a water table that comes right up above the floor of your basement. Therefore you have water pressure against the lower part of your walls and the floor. The water will come right through cement you don't even need cracks. There are water sealer paints (drylock), but long term they won't solve the problem.

When they put in the french drain, that will lower the water table all around your houses perimeter. That may be enough so you won't have to worry about the cracks in the floor.

The process involves using jack hammers all around the perimeter of your basement. That might be a good time to consider replacing the slab too.

[bob haller]

having been thru all this first check for downspout drains too near home, underground lines leaking, sewer lines backing up, water line leaking, grade around home must be away from it.

go wth the interior french drain, many companies offer a lifetime dry basement warranty..

if the slab is that bad its a good time to replace the basement floor.

its impossible to seal water out, your homes basement is not a bathtub

[Home Guy]

Do you have neighbors close by?

With basements as deep (or deeper) than yours?

Do they have similar water problems?

[Tony Hwang]

Hi, Are you on a city residential lot or an acreage? How old is the house? Sounds like water table is high or very poor drainage problem. Probably they did not do a proper job of preparing the site when house was built. To fix the problem is a major work starting with a soil/water engineer's survey. My son is a civil engineer with soil/hydrology background. Very often called out to deal with a problem like this.