trying to outrun a hurricane

[Betsy]

I quote a "news" article:

"...small cracks often elude many homeowners' eyes. The cracks can let flood water deep into the foundation of the house, he said. "Driven rain could come down and go through that crack and, of course, it's going to work its way into your basement," Ayd said. "They have silicon-based cement caulks that you could fill that up with or you could even towel in some cement ... those cements dry very quickly."

What does this mean? What cracks do you think they are referring to? I was always under the impression that interior cracks in my poured cement foundation must be filled with hydraulic cement--or would silicone caulk in fact work (it would sure be quicker).

[v]

1) Either he was misquoted, or was imprecise. "Deep into the foundation"??? Sounds like trying to scare someone. Deep into the foundation would be like the level of the footers, below the basement floor. So he is saying cracks can let water into the BASEMENT?? Uh huh. See below. 2) If you are depending upon a seamless, crack free water tight basement (like the house was a boat) to keep flood water out of your house, I think it is too late already. Even if the whole basement was that tight, like a boat, then that kind of hydraulic pressure would collapse the walls, or burst up through the floor, or the whole house would float up up and away. And even large concrete boats/barges have a rate of leakage, bilges to collect it, and bilge pumps to expell it.

The sky is falling the sky is falling. Does this guy do basement jons or something? Don't be spooked by the disease du jour.

The ones he is trying to scare you with. The ones you can't see. Perhaps for a fee he will come over and spot them with his majic eye?

What are you calling "hydraulic cement", do you know what that is?

-v.

[Don Phillips]

I'll support these statements and go a little further. Properly design buildings in flood plains are built to allow the water to flow through the structure. Water is one of the most destructive forces in nature and fighting can be a very costly battle.

Sincerely,

Donald L. Phillips, Jr., P.E. Worthington Engineering, Inc.

145 Greenglade Avenue Worthington, OH 43085-2264

[e-mail] (remove NS to use the address)

614.937.0463 voice 208.975.1011 fax