The Busy Dog Blog

Where Water Can Enter The Basement: The Floor / Wall Joint

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In order to know how to waterproof a basement, you need to know how water enters the basement. There are six different ways water can enter the basement:

1. Floor / wall joint
2. Floor crack
3. Wall crack
4. Bulkhead
5. Window
6. Over the sill plate and down the wall

In this post I am going to go over the first way water enters a basement – the floor / wall joint.

Floor/Wall Joint

The floor/wall joint intersection is the most common entry source of water infiltrating the basement. This is where the foundation wall meets the floor. The water comes in from the outside over the footing under the foundation wall and up through the intersection where the foundation wall and floor converge. This type of wall seepage is seen most commonly when it rains. The reason for this is due to the over-dig mechanic previously described. If you have 3” to 4” or more of water in your basement, the source of the water is probably from the floor/wall joint. Water may seep in from other locations, but the most heavy water intrusion will be from the floor/wall joint.

Due to the nature of concrete, when one concrete structure is poured and another concrete structure is poured next to it (or on it), a seam is created between the two concrete structures. For example, the footing is poured – the foundation wall is poured – and finally, the floor is poured. Each concrete structure (the footing, the wall and the floor) is poured separately. There is now a seam between each of these three structures. This allows the potential for water (under pressure) to come into the basement area. The points of entry are over the foundation footing, between the foundation wall, underneath the foundation and up through the seams between the foundation footing and the floor. This floor/wall joint seepage is very common and is a predominant reason for basement flooding.

Ineffective Exterior Methods of Basement Waterproofing – Sodium Bentonite

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This is an excerpt from James Pratt’s new book, Why a Basement Leaks and How To Fix It Permanently!

Sodium Bentonite is a substance that was manufactured primarily for the iron and steel industry. Sodium Bentonite was manufactured in sheets and put over the iron and steel to stop rainwater from rusting the material. When the rain hit the Sodium Bentonite sheets, the sheets would form themselves around the iron or steel and “wrap” it to prevent the rusting. The sheets would soak up the water, thus stopping the water penetration. In the 1970’s, knowing the sheets were used in this way, a basement waterproofing company sought to powderize the Sodium Bentonite and inject it around the perimeter of the exterior of the house. The thought process was that the powder would seal the foundation wall and footing joint. Several companies jumped on this band wagon and began using the Sodium Bentonite across the country.

This method rarely worked. Water would seep underneath the foundation footing to the floor wall joint by the tubes inserted in the lawn to install the Sodium Bentonite. The method for installation of the powdered Bentonite was to put tubes in the lawn and inject the powder to intersect with the footing.

A series of lawsuits ensued and most of the companies that used the injected Sodium Bentonite methods were put out of business due to the numerous complaints.

It was common for these companies to state (in fine print) on the proposals that they would return – at an additional cost – and install a drainage system to stop the flooding, if the Sodium Bentonite did not work. However, be aware that there are still companies today that claim Sodium Bentonite works. This approach sounds attractive to the homeowner because there is no disruption inside the home, but usually Sodium Bentonite is not a cure for a flooded basement. Most reliable basement waterproofing companies do not offer Sodium Bentonite as a solution. The Sodium Bentonite sheets – placed on the foundation over the footing – may be suitable as a damp proofing method. But remember – water can still infiltrate underneath the footing and the virgin soil – so the flooding problem may continue. Be aware that in post-construction basement waterproofing, digging out around the perimeter and installing sheets of Sodium Bentonite is an ineffective and inadequate waterproofing solution.

Want to read James Pratt’s Book? – Click Here.

Cold Weather and Basement Foundations

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This recent cold snap across the country can play havoc with basement foundations as soon as the weather warms. The clay soil beneath many of our homes reacts to the cold by closing the capillary veins (the pathways that water travels through within the soil). This contraction of the soil causes voids alongside foundations where water can pool and flood basements as soon as the snow melts or rains come.

Unfortunately, other than lift our homes out of the ground, there are few options to stop these voids from forming. We can’t stop nature. Clay soils have been moving for billions of years and residential construction methods fail to properly compact and correct soils. However, a properly installed and maintained interior water management system will prevent these voids from being a problem in your basement.

Guest post by:
Jason Weinstein
NAWSRC Certified Waterproofing Specialist
Budget Dry Basement Waterproofing – Guilford, CT