I have an area in my basement that would support a 12 x 11 layout room. Here"s the kicker. When we get a heavy rain along two of the cement walls water comes in. From the point of entry the water runs across the floor to a floor drain at another part of the basement. I have thought of getting a jackhammer and making a channel along the walls for the water to run so as to not interfere with any potential layout room. What do you fellas think? All you carpenters don"t be afraid to chime in. This would make a great room for trains if I can somehow get a handle on the water. Thanks Kirk
The better long term fix would be to prevent/limit the water coming in but this would possibly mean some digging outside. Assuming that your downspouts are directing the water a sufficent distance away from the foundation you may need to dig down to the the bottom of your foundationon the entire length of the wall were the leaks occur AND around the corner to the nearest lowest grade of your property. Lay about 12" of stone in this trench, place in perferated drain pipe (the kind that is covered with a cloth/screen material), and lay about another 12" of stone on top. Compact these layers well. Place a foundationwater drain screen (resembles corragated cardboard but is made from a plastic/vinyl material, this acts as a barrier to the ground water and allows any water that does get in between the barrier and the wall to drain down), and back fill to the original grade plus 4" to prevent water from running towards the wall.
You could apply some waterproofing sealant to your walls (either inside or outside NEVER on both sides!) but as soon as the walls settle and shift the sealant will crack wherever the wall cracks.
Possible the lowest cost method would be to create a channel like you suggested BUT direct it to a new drain closer to the leak. Most basement drains lead nowhere except into the stone under the concrete. Keep in mind though that in extreme conditions that the water perculating down the outside of the walls may seep under the basement slab and actually enter into the basement thru the new drain.
Best bet is to verify water drainage outside from downspouts and be sure that the 3-4’ of ground closest to the home is higher than the rest.
This needs to be addressed outside the house. You need to dig out the ground along the foundation, at least a couple of feet deep, and probably more. This is going to be excavation/back hoe work. Put perforated drain pipe in the hole, and fill it with gravel before putting the dirt back in. The pipe has to be routed to somewhere that that water can run off, which may be across the yard somewhere. Yeah, more excavation. It’s not going to be a cheap job, but if you’ve got water leaking through your walls to the point that it runs across the basement floor, you’ve got a worse problem than just keeping the trainroom floor dry.
If the water is a very rare thing, like maybe once ever 2 years or so, then you might get away with sealing the walls from the inside. This is a much less expensive proposition, but it sounds like you get enough flow that you should have it looked at professionally.
I forgot to add the reason for never sealing the interior AND exterior walls. Any water that gets trapped there will freeze (if you leave in colder climates) and cause major structural damage. Even if you live in warmer climates, trapped water/moisture will lead to structural weakening and mold issues over time.
I would be concerned about the humidity issues with water getting in everytime it rains. Rather than jack hammering the floor randomly you should look at ways of keeping the water out alltogether, if you can. Is the grade around your foundation responsible for the water sitting next to the foundation and seeping in? Are your eavestrough downspouts dumping next to the building? Is it coming in a low window that should be welled? Is it foundation cracks? Is there weeping tile at the footings?
If the water can’t be gotten rid of…maybe you should embrace the problem and build the layout on the foor, cut a river bed for the water and call it a flash flood when ever it rains. [;)]
Concrete has the right idea. There are products available now for sealing foundations from the outside that never harden so they resist cracking when the foundation moves. I can’t say how well they work long term but Mike Homes of “Homes on Homes” seems to think they work well.
My Mother’s previous house had a problem with one basement wall. Before we excavated the ground outside, there was a system called a ‘beaver dam’ I believe. It was a plastic ‘dam’ placed where the floor and wall met. In the middle of the room was a piece of conduit that ran from a hole in the ‘dam’ to the floor drain. It worked ok, unless we had a substantial spring rain. This old diversion system basically directed the water to the drain. Certainly not permanent, but it usually did the job. We eventually had to take stronger action. The neighbors house and hers were both emptying onto a narrow strip between them. I don’t know if they make systems like this anymore. It would be a cheap fix to start with if the funds for major work aren’t there.
You have to love how a modeler’s brain works some times. Always trains, all the time.
You may want to look into something called a sump pump. I don’t know exactly how they work or if they can be installed after the home is built. A few homes my parents built over the years had them installed. Whatever you do, it probably won’t be easy or cheap. Digging a trench might let more water in.
Loather’s post has some merit. You can get a decent pump with ball float for $60-$100. However, the additional cost/work is in creating a pit to place the pump AND sealing that pit so that ground water does not seep in from the bottom.
Your best bet might be a French drain in the basement flooring and a sump, as loathar has recommended. The outside fix is easily the best, by a long shot, but it will also cost a great deal. Next most costly will be the French drain and sump…but they work well if they’re designed and built well.
No matter what, you will have many troubles trying to keep a reliable and fun model railroad in the environment you describe. It needs aggressive and effective drainage, plus the judicious use of a dehumidifier I would think.
cnrail.
Before you get into the really expensive stuff, do yourself a favour and try the easy route first.
1) make sure that all your downspouts lead well away from the house. If they go straight down into the ground, they could be connected to your weeping tile or sewer system. If it is an older house, these could be partly or fully blocked. This means $$$$.
Some areas do not allow this practice any longer as it is expensive to treat sewage. If this is the case, remove the downspout from the ground and seal the hole. Install an elbow at the bottom of the downspout and pipe it as far away from the house as is practical. (4 to 6 feet at least). This is the cheapest way.
2) Make sure that the ground around the house is HIGHER than the rest of your property and slopes away from the house by at least 3 to 4 feet. If your property slopes toward the house, you may have to create a shallow swale, (a shallow depression) to allow water to run around and away from the house to the low side. For this, you will need someone with a strong back and a weak mind and pay him some $$$. OR get a few friends over with shovels and supply a case of beer. Just remember to throw the dirt that you remove toward the house to build up that side of the swale. If at all possible, it is a good idea to sod the ground up to the house so that the water runs away.
I have personal experience with both of these problems. Our house is about 50 years old in the suburbs and there were two empty lots to the north side of us that were about two feet higher than our property. Whenever we had a rainstorm, the water would run off beside our house and pool