Most water problems that homeowners encounter can usually be by controlling water above ground. Simple but effective means of controlling those above-ground problems may prevent structural damage to your home as well as dry up those basement damp areas. Most home owners are un-aware that saturated soil increases the soil pressure on the basement wall which can the lead to cracks, shifts, collapses and other structural problems. Start first by looking to the roof,. An inch of water on 1,000 square feet of roof amounts to about 623 gallons of water. A foot of compacted snow on that same roof could contain up to 4 inches of water, or nearly 2,500 gallons. Getting all that water away from the house is a big first step to preventing basement problems and can prevent needless costs in repairs. Ensuring your eaves trough have extension or splash pads that adequately remove water from around your house is the first step in preventing water intrusion or damage to your home. A slope of about 1 inch per foot drainage near the foundation wall is usually adequate. Also, the ground should be sloped to carry the water away from the downspout discharge.

In addition to proper drainage above ground, a properly installed drainage system below ground is important to keeping your basement dry. A properly installed drainage system at the house foundation will prevent many water problems from entering your basement and eliminate saturated soil conditions next to the wall. A study of leakage problems showed that more than 90 percent were due to improperly installed drainage systems. The engineer says a properly installed foundation drainage system includes drainpipes placed alongside the footing. In areas with high water tables, a drainage system can also be installed around the inside of the footing and under the basement floor. Using granular material to allow the movement of water and filtering material to keep soil from plugging drain pipes is essential to keeping the system functioning for the life of the house. Granular backfill should be used next to basement walls, he notes. Using soils that don’t drain well can cause pressure on the walls if the soils become saturated. Most contractors now use a dimpled wrap installed against the foundation ensuring water drains down to weeping tile thus preventing hydraulic pressure from building against foundation walls. Poor drainage will also increase the potential for moisture or water vapor to move through the wall into the basement.

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Is it important to waterproof your foundation? Absolutely! When it comes to structures and buildings, water can be very corrosive. If you ask or inquire about foundation waterproofing, you might prevent putting your home or investment purchase at risk of serious structural damage. These are some quick tips that you should consider prior to purchasing.

Before purchasing a new home or investment property you should engage the services of a qualified home inspector. Always check your potential home inspectors qualifications and how long he has been in business. Remember CAVEAT EMPTOR – Buyer Beware

Water will find it way through the most miniscule crack and crevice and weep through most concrete walls. Concrete will allow moisture to penetrate walls and floors, the coarser the concrete the more penetration. Water flows through the ground horizontally so there’s no way to keep the water from coming into contact with your building. Water can flow up hill and tend to follow pre-established routes. Changes in the water table can also affect the path of water flow so a construction project in your area could change the direction of water travel at any time.

Mold and mould can result if water is entering your house your house, especially if your basement is finished and water contacts your drywall or any other protein based material. Mold spores can spread the surfaces of your house and making physical contact with them can be a health hazard. Some of the most perilous molds can be breathed in. Mould removal can be very expensive with all materials having to be removed and encapsulation of workers and contaminated areas. Mildew is another destructive substance that is found in most houses. Mildew is generally found where water has made direct contact with a surface that is porous, like your shower tile. Mildew is what turns your shower grout black and can be disastrous if it manages to take hold of your house’s foundation.

Most older buildings have a black waterproofing spray coating that is meant to defend your foundation. Unfortunately there’s more to waterproofing your foundation than a simple spray. There are a few methods of waterproofing your basement and remember, there is no way that you can “over-waterproof” your home.

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Water is one of the most common reasons that damage occurs to homes. The exterior is especially vunerable to the onslaught of water and moisture, the slow but sure deterioration of a homes cladding, windows and foundation if not properly maintained. I have written many articles on the value of proper drainage and grading of building lots etc but there is always a surprise or two waiting for a chance to damage your home.

I recently came across a rather unique story regarding water intrusion into a home, and from a very unusual source, the hydro service.  This homeowner had a basement room which had a moisture odour but no source could be detected. The odour would come and go with no apparent source for the problem.  This spring the carpet got wet and this being an inside wall, again no apparent cause.  After removing the carpet and then the drywall the source became apparent, the hydro service was leaking water down the wall and under the carpet. 

The homeowners insurance would not cover this as the source was from an un-heated area.  As always you can always count on your insurance company to stand by you when it is time to collect money, but when it comes to paying out any, there is always a loophole which prevents you from being covered.  This particular home owner had to add another main panel, run hydro from the service at side of garage overhead and then down the wall into the existing panel, then capping off the leaking underground service.

Personally I have never heard of this type of water penetration before and unless the service was leaking or there were signs of water penetration, would be impossible to pick up on a home inspection.  An example of some of the un-expected problems that can occur for home owners.

Written by

Roger Frost

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Polyurethane Foams for Low Pressure Injection Crack Repair

What is the better choice: polyurethane or epoxy? Epoxy is the better choice if structural strength is required to be maintained. If the crack is only repaired to prevent water leakage then either product can accomplish this task.

Cause of Cracks

Lack of joints, to accommodate drying shrinkage and thermal movement during the construction phase is one of the major causes of concrete cracks. Settlement and overloading are also common causes of cracking. Cracks usually appear within the first month after construction. These cracks can leak as soon as they are formed or might expand and leak later. Crack can grow and cause problems as they expand.

How Cracks Grow

Moisture, which is the worst enemy of homes, enters the tiny cracks in the concrete and in colder weather, freezes, enlarging the crack. Also, movement of soils surrounding your home, through settling, can also cause expansion of your cracks. In extreme cases, soils that are unstable can overcome the inherent strength of concrete causing crack and expansion.

Cracks caused by construction, heat, freezing and settlement can be corrected by injection. Cracks caused by unstable soils must have soil problem stabilized prior to attempting injection corrective methods.

Low Pressure Injection

This method of injecting polymers into the concrete is adequate for repairs of cracks not involving high volumes of water. High-pressure injection is better suited for this type of application. Low pressure is defined as injection pressures between 20 to 40 psi and can be used with either ports or surface injection. Pressures as high as 250 psi may be used.

High Pressure Injection

1,000 to 10,000 psi utilizing injection packers usually placed in holes drilled at 45 degrees to intersect the interior of the crack. This is common method of repair using polyurethane foam. High cost of packers, clean up of excess, potential stress damage and dangers of using high pressure are overcome by using low-pressure injection methods.

The use of surface ports (with one-way check valves) together with low-pressure injection of a sealed crack eliminates these problems in most situations. The injection of high-density foam is an effective water proofing method.

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Napoleon Home Inspections is proud to welcome aboard two highly qualified inspectors. Carl Kolbe is an experienced building inspector with over 10 years in the building industry and Brent Rowe is a graduate A.Sc.T. both fully trained and with excellent credentials. Napoleon Home Inspections has been based out of Barrie ON for the past five years and has built a solid reputation jumping into the fore front by introducing introducing their Fair Pricing Policy and a 100 % Money Back Guarantee Policy.  These industry leading commitments have lead to such a large increase in business that the “Barrie Home Inspector” has had to expand to meet the needs of the Simcoe County area.

In accordance with our Mission Statement to always provide exceptional service to our clients we have now added Thermal Imaging technology to our inspection process. This exciting new technology is allowing Professional Home Inspectors to detect hidden deficiencies by reading the heat signature radiated of the products used to build your home.

Thermal Imaging is an invaluable tool for energy loss detection. Our Thermal Imaging Camera has the ability to show air leaks and missing insulation. With a minimum of 10 deg F temperature differential we can identify where insulation was not installed, has slipped or was just installed improperly. Imagine the difference in your heating bills with just having a couple areas of missing insulation.

As always our goal to keep our clients as informed and educated as possible. We endeavor to do this by constantly exceeding training requirements and qualifications of all major home inspection associations and also investing in the latest technology to ensure we always provide a superior service in comparison.

As always, CAVEAT EMPTOR – buyer beware

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Spring is just around the corner and it is time to start planning those maintenance jobs that will prevent damage from occurring around your home.  This is known as preventive maintenance and is a yearly event.

A good way to start is to go out to the curb and take a good look at your home once the snow is gone.  Is there any noticeable items that stand out.  Look closely at your shingles, are they damaged, curling or missing anywhere?  Take a good look at your flashing, any pieces popped up or cracking of sealant?  If you have a chimney ensure it is still straight, if brick, look for obvious signs of brick spalling, cracked brick or concrete and missing chimney caps.

Check your eavestroughs to ensure that extensions are still in place and that splash pads are still directing water away from your home. Is the water from your roof draining away from your foundation, this is a major cause of damp basements and can even lead to water penetrating your basement. Is the water from your sump pump draining away from your house? You would be amazed at the amount of homes I come across that have their sump pump draining right beside their foundation.  This then goes down your wall into the weeping tile around your home and right back into your sump hole… a  continuous cycle…ensure this in not happening in your home.

Be sure to check back next week when we deal with other issues concerning the Spring Maintenance of your home.

Brought to your by the Alliston Home Inspector

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A wet basement can be obvious – water trickling across the floor or standing several inches deep at the base of the stairs. But there also are less obvious signs.

A wet basement may just feel humid and have a damp, stuffy smell. If so, wood in contact with concrete may be wet or decaying. Efflorescence, a chalky white substance left by the evaporation of water, may be seen on the walls. Basement floor tiles may be loose or popped. A carpeted floor may smell musty.

Find the Water
Fixing a wet basement begins with finding the cause. Infiltration of surface water, infiltration of groundwater, presence of outside humidity, and presence of indoor humidity are common causes of wet basements.

Surface water intrusion is when water runs toward the foundation and finds an entry. Groundwater enters through the walls and floor by wicking action or by hydrostatic pressure when the surrounding soil is saturated or the water table is high.

Warm, moist summer air can enter a house and condense on the basement’s cooler floor or walls. Indoor activities,like an improperly vented dryer, can create humidity that settles in the basement.

Fix the Problem
To avoid ongoing problems with mold or mildew, get rid of any water-damaged furnishings and possessions unless they can be properly cleaned. Then identify and treat the source of the problem.

Surface Water
If surface water is the culprit, watch how the roof drainage system works and where rain water flows during a rainstorm.

A gutter or downspout plugged with debris may be sending rainwater over the gutter, down along the foundation, and into the house. Regular cleaning or installing a product that prevents debris from getting into the trough will end that problem.

If there is no debris but rainwater is still overflowing, the downspouts may be clogged, incorrectly sized for the roof area, or insufficient for the size of the house. Consider getting larger gutters, adding another downspout, or increasing the downspout size and its corresponding gutter opening.

Downspout extensions that direct rainwater away from the house may be improperly placed or not long enough to protect the home from surface water. Experts suggest extensions of at least 10 feet to get the discharge away from the house without sending water into a neighbor’s yard.

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