My parents reside in Smiths Falls ON and hava a bungalo built in the early 60's. It has a standard basement with cinderblock walls on a concrete slab. Water is coming in at the base of the walls in a few areas. The grade is sloping away and the eve trough is functioning well.Is there anything they can do to seal the walls from the inside, or do the walls need to be excavated? As a result of a sewer back-up last year that was due to a blocked main line to the City sewer system, we had a sump pump installed. It appears to be installed in a sealed plastic drum that is designed to take surface water out of the basement if it accumulates. I was wondering, if I were to drill large holes in the sump pit drum, would it help to take the water away from the exterior walls?
Answer:
Cutting the holes in the sump liner shouldn't overwhelm the pump and if it does, another pump should be installed. This does not get around having to excavate the exterior and doing a proper patch job on the block walls. An impermeable sheet should also be introduced and while you'e at it, remember, sump pumps should never be allowed to operate alone. There should always be as much back up for them as possible. One system is to have a second pump on hand for urgent, quick replacement. This means that the actual hook-up would probably be better done with hose clamps and radiator hoses than corrodable, threaded joints. Another is to install a "T" with a threaded cap somewhere along the interior line so that if the hose plugs for whatever reason (frost, collapse, vermin, etc.) another hose can be attached inside and there is no embarrassing gap in service. The preferred system incorporates two pumps in the same hole (both of them submersible) set at slightly different levels for being activated. Sump holes should also be fitted with covers which have weather stripped holes only large enough for the various protrusions (pipes, wires, etc.) through them. Three-quarter-inch plywood makes a good cover and if the necessary holes are drilled in a straight line, the plywood can be cut to fit around all the protrusions, the edges of it properly weather-stripped and put in place. This keeps an otherwise large surface of water from evaporating into the basement and substantially raising humidity levels there.
