Do you have a finished basement showing signs of a water leak?  The last things you want to see in your finished basement are small signs of a leak, such as a couple of wet spots on your carpet and/or water stains on the wall.

Signs of leakage are harder to spot in a rec-room compared to an unfinished basement. This is because any cracks in the floors and walls of unfinished rooms can usually be seen by the naked eye and any dampness and/or water is also easier to detect. It’s certainly harder to spot these things if the basement is finished with, carpeting, drop ceilings, paneling or drywall etc. as the leaks can be occurring underneath or behind these finishing surfaces. In addition, if you do find evidence of a leak, the location of the water buildup could be quite a distance from the source of the leak.

Custom Finished Basement Water Leak

How to find a basement water leak

A non-structural wall crack is the most typical cause of a poured-concrete basement leak. If you believe you have a leak the first thing you should be looking for is a crack in a wall. Make a note of where the water is located and then head outside to that section of your house’s foundation. Have a look above the ground to see if you can spot a crack in it. If the top of the foundation is hid under soil be sure to dig the dirt away. If there’s a crack in the foundation you should be able to spot it from outside of the home. Most cracks are usually narrow and vertical and less than 1/8 of an inch.

If you find a crack there’s a good chance there will be more than one. Keep looking to see if you can locate any more, but be aware that vertical form lines can be often be molded into the concrete. These lines can be formed from the original wood used when the home’s foundation was originally poured. These lines are just superficial and aren’t cracks. If you’re certain your basement is leaking, but can’t find any evidence of cracks then you should seriously think about calling in a professional waterproofing company and have them inspect the situation.

Have a contractor investigate

A professional waterproofing contractor will know exactly where to look for the source of water and how to test for it. If the water is coming through a crack in the wall of your finished basement the good news is you don’t need to tear the drywall down to repair it. The cracks can be repaired on the exterior permanently and effectively with the use of sodium bentonite clay. A typical crack can be fixed quite quickly and without much of a disruption to your rec-room.

You can also effectively waterproof your basement with other types of exterior techniques such as exterior exterior tile and waterproofing membranes. These will help protect your home from several water sources and costly repairs. This is another job you may want to assign to a professional contracting company since they know precisely what they’re doing and how to complete it cost-effectively, quickly, and permanently. You can always try it on your own, but if you don’t do it properly it could result in greater water damage and more expensive repairs in the long run. In addition, most contractors will inspect your home free of charge and give you their professional advice.

If there is a crack and it has been repaired a contractor will give you advice on how to keep water away from the home’s foundation to prevent any further damage. This can often be done quickly and inexpensively by installing a drainage system, extending drain spouts, and/or altering the landscaping grade around the home.

Do you live in Toronto or the GTA?  Nusite can help you find your water leak.  We provide a free in-home inspection and estimate and can help you solve your basement water leak troubles.  Contact us today to schedule your free estimate.

 

Foundation cracks in Toronto are common due to the age of the housing in the GTA, as well as the weather (rain-snow-freezing-thawing).  Foundation cracks develop over time for a variety of reasons and leads to basement water leaks as water makes its way into through the foundation.

Water Penetration Trough Concrete Floor

Foundation cracks may not seem appear too serious at first, but there’s always a chance they could cause some damage further down the road. This is why it’s a good idea to have them inspected by a professional. Horizontal and/or vertical cracks in a foundation usually won’t threaten the building’s structural integrity as cracking from earth settlement below the foundation and drying of drywall tape or concrete typically won’t cause a problem.

Foundations Move and Shift Over Time

Buildings continually move when the framing shifts and the earth contracts and expands due to heat and humidity fluctuation. Most homeowners won’t even notice the movements since they’re so small, but older homes were often constructed with a reliance on friction and gravity to hold the components of the building in place. The structure can weaken over time and then settle and spread. If the problem isn’t looked after, the building could collapse under its own weight. However the components are all tied together in newer buildings to form a single unit to stop this from happening.

Some structural defects are often hidden inside of walls and under the ground while others are more obvious. Since damage to the structure can be caused by moisture you should inspect the foundation if water from any source is running to it. If the foundation has been penetrated by water it’s generally due to a drainage problem. Salt will wash through a foundation and the rebar and wire mesh will rust away. When this happens the concrete will crumble as the foundation fails.

Leaks in plumbing, doors, windows and/or siding can cause rotting in wood and this can damage a structure’s integrity as the wood can turn to dust. If you find any rot in the trim around doorframes or windows or in there could be some hidden damage. If wood is untreated it may become moist due to contact with earth or concrete and start rotting on the inside. This is often a problem supports and columns for porches and decks.

If termites are present the wood can quickly turn to powder and when a wooden structure is touching the ground there’s usually some hidden damage. The easiest place to visually see any structural damage in a building is the top floor as shifting caused by rot or the movement of the foundation is more pronounced on the top level. Door and window frames will move more on a higher level than a lower one. If the higher levels have uneven floors it’s usually because the structure below isn’t properly supported.

Inspecting For Foundation Cracks

One way to check for structural problems is to inspect the corners of door and window frames with a carpenter’s square. If you find they’re not square it could be because there’s been structural movement below. Be aware that improper installation of the window or door could result in the corners not being square. If just one window or door frame isn’t square this is the likely cause since structural movement will generally affect more than just one frame.

You can check for uneven floors by placing a marble on the floor and see if it rolls. A slightly uneven floor isn’t necessarily bad news since some foundations are designed to ride the movement of the soil the same way a ship rides the waves. Buildings with these types of foundations may not always be perfectly even at all times. But if the floor is sloping in more than one direction then you should have it checked out.

When there’s structural movement it can result in cracking and the cracks can more or less tell the direction and location of the force which caused them. A crack shaped like a V could indicate upward-moving pressure. Upward-moving forces can happen when the soil expands and when the level of moisture is increased in the earth beneath foundations, patios, driveways and sidewalks. Float walls are usually built into basements of structures erected in expansive soil and the float wall is designed to expand and contract with the movement of the soil. If the walls are rigid the force of the expanding soil can push on them and damage the floors above.

Downward Pressure

A downward force will create a vertical crack which is wider at the bottom than the top and the force often originates from subsidence of the soil located below the building’s foundation. A structure can also be damaged by outward or inward force. Horizontal cracks usually aren’t serious, but if the surface below or above the crack has been forced outward or inward there could be problems. Inward or outward pressure can be the result of improper backfill, pressure of moving water and earth, or vehicle traffic that is too close to the foundation.

If you can determine the direction and lace of the force which has caused the cracks then it’ll be easier to find the source. If the damage is hidden though, it can be very hard to determine and costly to repair as floors, ceilings and walls may need to be opened to reveal the damage. It’s also possible you won’t realize there’s any damage until the structure eventually fails.

Foundation Tips When Buying a Home

When buying a home, it’s recommended that you inspect the patios, driveways and sidewalks to see if they’re sunken, heaved, cracked or twisted. If they are then the property may have expansive soils. If the foundation and other structures have been built for the conditions and water is routed away from concrete pads and the foundation you should find little indication of any concrete damage. Remember that most homes erected on expansive soils generally show some defects due to the constant expansion and contraction of the earth. It’s a good idea to have your home inspected if you’re unsure of any damage or contract a structural engineer for a professional opinion.

Have a questions about a crack in your foundation?  Nusite Waterproofing serves Toronto and the surrounding GTA.  We offer a free in-home inspection and estimate and can advise on how to repair your foundation crack.  Contact us here today to schedule an appointment.

With the harsh winter we had here in Toronto, the Spring melt is looking to be a big one and create a lot of wet basements an the GTA.  The busiest season for a waterproofing company is in the Spring when two things happens – The snow starts to melt and the Spring rains come.

So with all of this water trying to get into your basement, how do you fix some of those wet basement problems?

 

Get Your Mold Prone Valuables Out Of The Basement

Your floors, carpets, walls, furniture and irreplaceable storage items can easily be damaged due to water in your basement and it could result in mold pretty quickly. If you’ve experienced a flooded basement it’s important to determine if it’s just a one-time occurrence or if it’s something that may happen again. You’ll need to decide if you can leave your belongings downstairs once the water has been removed or if you better transfer everything upstairs where it’s safe and dry.

To do this you’ll need to investigate the situation and determine where the water came from and how it entered the basement. If there isn’t any noticeable flooding in your neighbourhood there may be other possible reasons for the water problem.

It could be surface water which is running down your foundation walls or it may be groundwater that has saturated into the soil and is being forced into your basement via hydrostatic pressure. In addition, water from storm sewers may back up and place water in the perimeter foundation drain, which can then leak into your basement. Another cause could be sanitary-sewer water which enters your home due to a clog in the municipal sewer line or the home’s sewer line. This could result in sewer water entering the home through lower-level floor and sink drains.

Each of these causes requires a different solution.  For some minor issues you may be able to fix it yourself, but for others you may need to enlist the help of a professional waterproofing company to diagnose the problem and fix it permanently.

Check for Surface Water

If this is the first time your basement has flooded you should look for surface water which could be draining down next to the home’s foundation. If the water is coming in at the exterior foundation only or in just one location then the problems are being caused by surface water. You may notice your gutters are filled with leaves or are overflowing and this is why it’s important to keep them as clean as possible. You can check for problems by checking the gutters after heavy rainfall of about 15 minutes. If the gutters are overflowing then there’s a problem somewhere along the line. The overflow of water can run down to the foundations or erode the soil and may crack the ceilings and/or walls. The best solution for this is to add another downspout which can back up the original downspout if it’s blocked.

If you can’t locate any surface water then the likely source is subsurface groundwater which is under hydrostatic pressure. If the groundwater rises above the floor then the basement can allow water in through holes and cracks. Regardless of where the water is coming from, the best way to control the problem is to install a form of perimeter drain system which can relieve the hydrostatic pressure. The groundwater will be forced into the drain system and into a sump pit which allows a sump pump to discharge it.

Distance of Downspouts

The recommended extension of a downspout is a minimum 10 feet from the home as this will disperse the water far enough from the foundation. Make sure paving doesn’t slope towards the home and if it does, it should be replaced so it slopes away from the house and make sure the pavement is properly sealed. The land surrounding your home should also slope away from it so water drains away. If there are hills which slope towards the home it’s a good idea to contact a waterproofing business. Also, be sure you don’t place any lawn irrigation systems next to your home if possible and don’t activate it if there has already been enough rainfall.

Sewer System

If there’s too much rainwater in a sewer system it can flow back into your home. This can usually be solved by an interior perimeter basement drain system which is then connected to a sump pump. If this doesn’t work it’s recommended that you get help from a professional waterproofing firm.

Sanitary-Sewer Water

If water is entering the home through sink and/or floor drains it could be coming from the city’s sanitary sewer system. The system is often overwhelmed during rain storms and it can back up into your home. In addition, a sewer backup may be caused by an individual service line which is plugged with debris. Since this is hard to control it could be a health hazard if waste enters your home. To make sure your individual lines remain clear a backflow preventer can be installed to make sure sewer water doesn’t flow into your home.

A flooded basement can range anywhere between a minor aggravation and a major problem. If you think you need to have a professional waterproofing company investigate your wet basement issues, contact us here for a free estimate and inspection.  We service Toronto and the surrounding GTA.