running water in basement under floor and out of walls

[shawn]

My wife and I bought our home about a year and a half ago. It is an older (115+ years) home with walls constructed of granite block and a concrete floor. We live at the bottom of a hill from the next street over and we are told it is a high water table area. During heavy rains we receive water in numerous spots throughout the basement. On several occasions we have gotten up to 2" of water in the basement. When we bought the home we were told a "french drain" was present when we noticed a 1'x1' square hole in the front of the ceiler. Under some white stone was a plunger cap and we were told this was the drain. One thing we did not know, was that the plunger cap needed to remain open inorder to drain any water that would run under the basement floor. As a result, during any heavy rain the water will back up in this hole in the floor and if not released into the drain, it continues to back up under the floor until it finds an escape at the base of the nearby walls.

In addition, we also get damp spots around the perimeter of the basement floor.

Obiviously, the "drainage" system we have now is worthless & our band-aid solutions have not beared any fruit to date, so what would be the best way to attack this ever increasing problem....thanks
shawn & Lisa

[Mark]

Thanks for visiting the Basement Systems web site. Here in New England there are many older homes like yours and many of them have similar water problems. The best thing to do is to have a waterproofing professional look at the basement. Its possible that a sump pump may be needed or the existing drain system replaced. I do know that this is a problem that can be solved. Please contact a Basement Systems dealer in your area or call 1-800-541-0487 to find a dealer near you.

Thanks
Mark Daconto VP
Basement Systems

[itumen]

Real waterproofing will get your basement dry for good.
Drainage systems, canals, etc- are not a real solution- I am sorry to explore here...

Its like putting a bucket under the sink instead of fixing the valve.

Do full negative-waterproofing (from inside your basement)with Hidraulic Cements, and you are done.

I have waterproofed hundreds of flooded and humid basements in the past 20 years. If you do it right- it stays right, for life. DRY, NOT HUMID, NOT NOTHING.

The best way to cut a job time in half- is not to do it twice....