Q: We recently purchased a property that has an old detached garage on it. Water is leaking into the garage all around the perimeter at the bottom of the wall (first photo). The garage is slab-on-grade construction with a 12-in.-high concrete stem wall placed on top of the slab. The problem is that the slab extends 6 in. beyond the stem wall, forming a horizontal skirt around … [Read more...] about How To Stop Leak Onto Garage Floor?
Basement Leakage
How To Find An Underground Water Leak
Q: A plumber disconnected service from our old well and connected the house to city water. The well was never capped. Could that be the source of our leak under the slab on grade? -- Thomas A: Capping of an old well keeps debris and surface contaminants out of the well in case you want to use it in the future. But a cap would not affect underground leakage. Unless you have … [Read more...] about How To Find An Underground Water Leak
Are Cracks in Concrete Slab Normal?
My new house, built on a concrete slab, is about 60% done, framing and drywall are in. My concern is I have several hairline cracks throughout the slab. I purposely had the slab made thicker (6 inches) with heavier rebar and a fiber- type additive to hopefully minimize this from happening. Is there anything I should do prior to having my flooring installed or something I … [Read more...] about Are Cracks in Concrete Slab Normal?
Building on a Wet Site
Ramakant writes: We are in discussion with a builder to buy a lot to build our new home. Currently it's a wooded area. However we discovered that this particular lot had a pond at one time covering almost 50% of the lot. Is it safe to build a new home on this lot? If so what are the things we need to consider? The builder says that we just need to stabilize the foundation … [Read more...] about Building on a Wet Site
Wet Basement Solutions for New Home
Missy writes: I am in the process of building a new home in Michigan and when the foundation was poured last fall there was water sitting in the basement throughout the whole process. Now three months later as they are finishing the house, the sump pump has continued to run. We have a mix of clay and sand soil on the property. We want to know if this is just a temporary problem … [Read more...] about Wet Basement Solutions for New Home
Cure for Basement Leakage
Dan writes: In the process of selling our house, the buyer’s inspector reported that there was "active water" in the basement. We assume that it was found in the walls or floor. We almost never experience any visible water in our basement. Can you recommend a professional to come to the house and perform an evaluation. The evaluation needs to include a verification of the … [Read more...] about Cure for Basement Leakage
Soil Washed Away Under Foundation
Steve writes: A friend recently moved into a property where a downspout leaked for years causing soil under the footings to be washed away on one corner of property. Their builder said they need to fill the void with concrete to provide support in that area. Is this a good approach and what would you call this remedy? Steve Bliss of BuildingAdivsor.com responds: This sounds … [Read more...] about Soil Washed Away Under Foundation
How Much Slope for Good Site Drainage?
Keith writes: Is there any recommendation to how high the grade of a home needs to be above an existing drainage ditch. What is the typical elevation above the ditch needed to get water flowing? Steve Bliss of BuildingAdvisor.com responds: Many basement water problems result from rain and snow melt that runs of the roof, pools around the foundation, and then runs down the … [Read more...] about How Much Slope for Good Site Drainage?