Basement floor moisture issue question

[Wild and Free]

So I am trying to decide the best route for a property I own with moisture issues under the basement concrete slab if one ever wants to finish the basement someday and not have to worry.

Area has high water table and the sump ran constantly 24/7 year round until the city put a ground water collection system in under the street which this helped release a lot of ground water pressure issues, now the sump pump only kicks in every 15 minutes or so. There are a few seems and minor cracks in the floor it is an unfinished basement and there is no water sitting or actual wet spots but there is mineral deposits where the floor meets the walls and the sill plate boards sit on top of some seems and wick water up and make the boards moist.

Question I am juggling and am getting mixed info from different companies is weather or not I need to cut in under floor drain tile system and run to the sump pit or weather I can just do a concrete sealer and crack sealer. Some companies say that drain tile is the only way no matter what and some other companies say that if there is no negative water pressure pushing up through the floor a sealer will be the ticket as some will hold back up to 10-12 lbs water pressure and that with the ground water table so high the soil will always hold moisture under the concrete slab and still cause a wicking effect like it does now even with a drain tile system.

Difference being about 10K difference. I can do the board replacement and buy the sealers and do it my self for around 1K or less, in floor drain tile range is 10-12k+.

Thoughts, input, advice and referrals for someone you could recommend to me for more input is all welcome.

 

[Mr Nice]

Look into an exterior sump with drain tile running to it. Many are done with a 10' plastic culvert buried vertically and the bottom few feet drilled full of holes and back filled around it with gravel. Works slick without tearing into the basement.

 

[Wild and Free]

It is a twin home and there is not enough space for a system like that around the exterior of the property the way it is laid out, plus there is an exterior drain tile pipe that already runs into the basement sump pit which is why it runs like it does.

 

[guywhofishes]

Rent a concrete saw and installl drain tile yourself for cheap. Galwhofishes and I did it ourselves, zero prior experience. It's mostly common sense and some ballbusting labor.

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I do not believe a seal can stop mineralization/weeping. Capillary action is relentless... It WILL find a way through. Drain it, don't give it a chance to even try.

 

[Ericb]

This isn't up by the sunset exit is it? We have the same issues at my grandmothers. Technically sealing would work if there is no pressure, but water will always find a way. Her house mainly had issues with water building up and coming in on the north side of her house. We've put 2
additional sumps on that side of the house which has helped alot. 15 ft from one of the pumps is where the water main comes in. Water still builds up in there and then seeps into a wall.

 

[lunkerslayer]

Plastic sub floor cover with tongue and groove plywood
I helped my boss put this in his basement because he lived next to the English Coulee in Grand Forks.
After the last time the floor became so humid even with dehumidifier also as in the winter months floor was always cold even on carpet.
After the flood of 97 he replaced all studs in the basement with steel studs and bottom 2 feet ½ inch concrete board. Then put another sump pump in floor directly below the patio outside the window.
First project was to put bigger rain gutters along the entire house with long extension.
Second installed plastic flooring with tongue and groove flooring fastened with 2" fluted masonry nails.
Rehung all doors and nailed on all the base, and installed carpet
He has never been happier

 

[Wild and Free]

N 19th str. Pebble creek addition, north of century ave. in Bismarck, whole area is built on a slough as one can see around the golf dome.

 

[eyexer]

Lunker's idea is a great one. not cheap but a great one. Another method you could use would be this stuff. followed by ceramic tile. This stuff is waterproof. http://www.homedepot.com/p/Schluter-Ditra-54-sq-ft-3-ft-3-in-x-16-ft-5-in-x-1-8-in-Thick-Uncoupling-Membrane-DITRA5M/100143471?cm_mmc=SEM|THD|google|D23+Tile&mid=sl8NotUaO|dc_mtid_8903pdd25182_pcrid_64464689488_pkw__pmt__product_100143471&gclid=Cj0KEQjwjrqvBRD6wf2fy-C61PIBEiQAUzKQTvn63G4CwYdDLzcUDEYK49u2rgaBxe-1cjgIzSn2NB4aAtw38P8HAQ

 

[Wild and Free]

I am looking for the best solution to get the place sold, everyone that has looked at it has not looked back due to the moisture issues so the easiest thing to get it sold is the objective.

 

[lunkerslayer]

Did not say anything about selling, masonry caulking, concrete paint sealer, good luck with that

 

[NDwalleyes]

Would adding a 2nd sump help releave the pressure?

I feel your pain. We were in a similar situation about 10 years ago. I ended up paying basement systems to come in and do their thing as I wanted the transferable lifetime warranty before I sold it. It's a hard pill to swallow but I slept well after we sold it. Considering what our home prices have done in the past 5 years, just consider it lost equity.

 

[Wild and Free]

I have been looking at this companies products.

http://www.radonseal.com/radonseal-mitigation.htm

 

[Obi-Wan]

Trying to get by cheap will haunt you in the future when the new owner has the same problem and comes after you for the repairs. Pay someone like innovative basement systems they will provide a warranty and if anything happens it is on them. It won't be cheap but this is what these guys do and it will be done right. Would you want somebody to do a cheap fix to something you bought and then you have to deal with the problem?

 

[Wild and Free]

Would adding a 2nd sump help releave the pressure?

I feel your pain. We were in a similar situation about 10 years ago. I ended up paying basement systems to come in and do their thing as I wanted the transferable lifetime warranty before I sold it. It's a hard pill to swallow but I slept well after we sold it. Considering what our home prices have done in the past 5 years, just consider it lost equity.

From talking with others we have no "Pressure" anymore after the city put the collection system in but from talking to others they claim no matter the amount of drain tile the moisture will always be there in the soil due to water table being high and the soil will always be moist and wick through cracks and seams which is where the sealing ideas are coming from versus the tile, some say that unless the water is physically coming up and causing wet spots or more indicating "Pressure" which we have none of those issues.

 

[lunkerslayer]

I have been looking at this companies products.

http://www.radonseal.com/radonseal-mitigation.htm

Looks like a epoxy paint for garage floors where you can roll it on and add flakes to it.
Another idea is to have someone pour a Gypsum Concrete floor, this stuff will fill in all cracks in concrete as well as stop floor from sweating

http://www.hackerindustries.com/firm-fill-gypsum-concrete.shtml

 

[Obi-Wan]

After the 2011 flood which I had ground seepage I installed drain tile, which I did not have. I put radon seal on my basement floor to help with radon and it was as thin as water I was not impressed, not sure if it worked or not. I would not rely on that as a water membrane

 

[Wild and Free]

Trying to get by cheap will haunt you in the future when the new owner has the same problem and comes after you for the repairs. Pay someone like innovative basement systems they will provide a warranty and if anything happens it is on them. It won't be cheap but this is what these guys do and it will be done right. Would you want somebody to do a cheap fix to something you bought and then you have to deal with the problem?

Nothing to hide and couldn't if I wanted to as it is a totally unfinished basement, moisture issue is fully disclosed on the condition statement and the last potential buyer agreed to it "as is" but the cost was just to high for them as first time home buyers after they dug into it after the purchase agreement was final they had the option to back out which they did for cost reason only plus I am co-owner and my co has no funds to pour into it either as we inherited it and are just trying to get out from under it, my mother built it new in 94.

Been on the market for 2 months and have found it to be bad timing as home prices are plummeting in Bismarck right now and the market has contracted big time in the last few months according to all the realtors.

Another issue is that my sister who is the co owner and I both live and work 35-40 miles from Bismarck in different directions which makes dealing with the place a real hassle too.

 

[wildeyes]

If I owed the home and had to sell it I would spend the money and have a company with a warranty fix it. With water seeping you have to fix it right or you will spent more money on court cases after you sell it.

 

[johnr]

Try the full throttle method...jk.

Lower the asking price to the amount it will cost to correct it and walk away. I sure wouldn't put up with the mess and construction when selling is your priority.

 

[Petras]

a couple years ago we had to have some work done on our basement. Block walls were pushing in on one corner of the house. floor was cracked and crumbled and heaved up (original concrete from 60 years ago). after having 5 contractors look at it and only 2 of them even wanting to give us a bid we chose to go with Basement Water Controlled out of minnesota. The job included installing 5 wall braces to stop the wall from pushing in, installing a draintile and sump system, cutting in an egress window, removing old shitty concrete and pouring new concrete. The whole job took them about 3 days and cost us about $21000 which was right on bid and $12k cheaper than what Innovative Basement Systems quoted us for the exact same work. Also, got a 25 year transferrable warranty with the job too. Having that sump and draintile system probably wasn't needed in my house, but it is extra peace of mind.