Water In The Basement - Part 3
Water leaks or seepage in your basement will damage stored items, destroy finished walls and flooring, but more importantly it becomes the perfect breeding area for mold. Where there is mold, there is the possibility of reparatory problems, allergies and odors. These contaminants will eventually permeate throughout your home.
Common Areas of Water Seepage:
Water Seepage In A Tie Rod Position - Figures 9 & 10
Figure 9 - Water seepage due to tie rod
Figure 10 - water seepage through tie rod connections
Tie rods are used to hold the concrete forms in position while the concrete is being poured. Once the concrete has cured the forms are removed, but the tie rods remain in place. The tie rods are generally made of metal and overtime the metal rusts and no longer fills the hole allowing water to seep into the basement.
Repairing holes left by tie rods is a relatively simple process. The hole is cleaned of any remaining metal and then filled with an epoxy / urethane in the same manner as a crack.
Do-it-yourself concrete wall crack repair information.
Water Seepage Through A PipePenetration In The Wall - Figures 11 & 12
Figure 11 - Water seepage due to pipe penetration in foundation wall
Figure 12 - Water seepage through pipe penetration in wall
Many homes will have a number of pipes penetration the basement walls. These can include sewer, electrical service, gas and water. When the pipe was originally installed the installer most likely used a patching compound on the exterior wall. This is not a good method of sealing a pipe penetration through a foundation wall.
The best method to fix the seepage problem around the pipe is to fill the void with epoxy / urethane from the inside. This will prevent any additional water seepage in this area.