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Re: Water in Basement

From: ang43@comcast.net
Category: Foundations and Basements
Remote Name: 24.3.74.131
Date: 26 Feb 2006
Time: 11:19 AM

Comments

Question: We will be in our newly constructed home three years in the spring. It is an all brick 2600 sq. ft. ranch built in southwestern Pa. From day one on our walk-through with our contractor we get wet walls in the basement on a blowing rain. The wet spots are always high on the walls and not near the floor. They dry quickly as we have 2 dehumidifiers running constantly. We don't think it is the roof or down spouts as we do not get wet walls when it is a straight down rain or storm. It is always on a blowing rain that hits a side of the house. We had the window company (Peachtree) send a rep out who said there was no water intrusion through the windows but that the sills had bowed due to the lack of a 1/4" gap between the sill and the brick. Our contractor then had the sills removed and replaced the said gap with caulking and installed flashing under the sills with weep-holes to the exterior of the house. We have glass block windows in the basement with a gap above where water drips into the basement. Our contractor said he can see water running down the blue-board when water was applied with a hose. He concluded from this that our brick was too porous. We also have 2 sliding doors that leak. One that is ground level on the side of the house in the basement that leaks under the threshold and one in the breakfast nook with 2 brick steps to a patio that we see wet spots underneath in the basement. It has been suggested that we now waterproof the brick exterior. We then contacted the brick company (Hanson Brick) who sent a rep out. We received a report from them discouraging the waterproofing saying that it is better to identify and rectify the offending detail. They concluded that mortar dropping may be allowing moisture to bridge the drainage cavity (if a cavity exists) or brick ties are allowing moisture to cross the cavity or there is leakage around the windows that were not properly flashed or incorrectly flashed i.e. no end dams, laps not sealed, or flashing not correctly installed against the back-up or non-existent. Our contractor does not agree with this assessment. He suggested we contact a waterproofing company. One company told us that they could not help us...another suggested the exterior waterproofing at a considerable expense and would not guarantee the results. We are not sure if our problem is the result of one problem or if there are different issues going on. What do you think?

Builders Websource® Answer: We applaud you for doing some initial troubleshooting and investigation of your water infiltration problems. You've worked with the builder (who has made some minor repairs) and you've contacted the window company, the brick company, and one or more waterproofing specialists. Each has offered some advice and theories as to what your problem may be, however, no one wants to take any responsibility for fixing it. We relate to your frustration. Since this problem has dragged on now for nearly three years and you're no closer to fixing it than the day you moved in, you may need to escalate this a notch with your builder, using legal remedies as a last resort. Ultimately, the builder is accountable for the integrity and workmanship of the home. While it's possible there could be a defect in your windows and sliding doors, Peachtree is a reputable company whose products are built to precision standards in a factory, a process that  tends to yield repeatable results. On the other hand, a custom home is constructed in the field by hand, often with laborers of questionable training and experience. In our experience, the vast number of water infiltration issues are usually (but not always) the result of either improper up-front engineering and/or sloppy workmanship, and/or omissions of key flashing details on the blueprints.

Now here's the silver lining. As with all things gone awry, there normally IS an explainable, engineering reason for the problem; it's just that you haven't sufficiently narrowed down the cause yet. A home that's properly flashed, weatherproofed, and has proper drainage should remain dry throughout the seasons, even with a horizontal driving rain. That's not to say that an occasional leak won't happen -- as leaks can occur from time to time in even the most well built structures due to settlement and aging of components. However, you clearly have a recurring (and reproducible) leak that's been present since you first moved in -- and the water's getting in from somewhere.

The most important thing you can do at this stage is:

1) Document in writing and with photographs (when possible) every occurrence of a leak and the situation. Note the time, date, location of the leak as well as any damage or sign of water infiltration. This will become important evidence both in troubleshooting and in documenting your case in the event you have to sue the builder. Hopefully it won't come to that (as legal proceedings are expensive, cumbersome, stressful, and time consuming. But sometimes you may have no other recourse but to sue and it pays to be organized with ample details in writing.

2) The next step is to try and recreate the conditions that cause the leak. You must do this systematically, as water can travel in strange and unexpected ways. For example, you mentioned that the builder could create a leak by hosing down the exterior. This is critical information and serves as an interesting starting point. However, be more controlled in your experiment. For example, rather than spraying the whole wall, try small section at a time (such as a 2'x2' area). Start on the lower portion of the wall working horizontally in rows. Be patient, continue to check for any signs of moisture, and then continue. If the leak is fairly direct, water may show up within a few minutes. However, if it's a complex or slow leak, you may find that it could take hours for the leak to appear, particularly if moisture is collecting first inside the walls (such as in the insulation) and leaking out after it becomes saturated.

We would also be interested to better understand the full construction envelope of your home. You say it's all brick, but we assume that the substructure is traditional stick framing. Do you know whether there is any shearwall such as OSB or plywood covering all the walls, or only in portions? We've seen homes built where the open studs are covered with tarpaper, which can easily rip and allow moisture inside the walls in no time. What material was used over the sheathing or studs to prevent moisture, such as Tyvek® Housewrap, tar paper, etc? Did the builder follow the recommendations outlined in the brick association of the Brick Industry Association technotes and guidance on installation and provision of  weep holes, etc.?

Ultimately if you or anyone is going to fix the problem, you need to address the source of the problem. Anything else is a "Band-Aid" that may or may not alleviate your situation. Bottom line, we suggest you embark on a rigorous (and meticulous) troubleshooting exercise to try and narrow down the area that seems to be causing the trouble. You may, in fact, have multiple different leaks, but the underlying mechanisms could be similar. Test all exposed areas, particularly around joints, windows, or any cracks that may be visible in the exterior surface. After you've tried this, please report back and then we can take the next steps. Good luck.

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