Concrete Water Sealers

What product have you used to seal your concrete basement walls? French drain is installed around foundation but still have a little issue with water. Like to get a review of what our members have used.

I have had good luck with Sonneborn's Thoro-Seal. I also use latex addative to help with adhesion, as well as using it as a bonding agent.

Wiz wrote:What product have you used to seal your concrete basement walls? French drain is installed around foundation but still have a little issue with water. Like to get a review of what our members have used.

Yeah, me too...

Thoroseal is what we use for the most stubborn 'leakers' here also. Only the spray on rubber membranes are better, but they are exterior only. Lets face it, hydraulic pressure can force water through almost anything, so while you are working on the inside, the outside provides the best protection. Make sure you have enough ventilation when you do it. 52 here at 8 AM.....rain has stopped; 2.25"

Excellent family of products. Another one of the 'Big Guys' .....Where chemistry gets down to business. Read about your specific needs before just purchasing a container.
These products aren't cheap, and require care in using them. Eyes first, than contact with hands...cleanup. Anyone who has played with hydraulic cement to patch an active leak will testify as to how hot it gets in your hand as it quickly cures. Rubber gloves are a necessity.

From what I was told by original owner, outside foundation was spray with a tar type sealer. I'll be sealing the inside walls.

There is this, don't know much about it.

http://www.sanitred.com/BasementWaterproofing.htm

Wiz wrote:From what I was told by original owner, outside foundation was spray with a tar type sealer. I'll be sealing the inside walls.

Sealer is not Waterproofing. Many will tell you "this what everyone uses". Really! Whaterproofing is another animal. What works best and is proper is what is RIGHT! I used Sonneborn trowel grade waterproofer on the outside of my foundation, with no penetration of moisture to the inside. Listen trowel grade will give your forearms a workout. Where I was unwilling to dig I got Thoroseal, and used it on the inside. Happy with both applications, but if I had my choice I would use both, but I am not all there when more is better

There is no such thing as "water proofing." It's a fantasy. There's water management. Your basement is not a boat. Tar on the exterior is damp proofing only. You also cannot keep water out by applying any product on the inside of the walls. You need to manage water on the exterior of the home. You do that by correct grading around the home. The grade should have at least a slight fall away from the foundation. Rain gutter and down spouts are critical. Gutters must be kept clean and down spouts extended somewhere away from the home. If you have a sump pump, the discharge pipe must extend away from the home. I can't tell you how many homes I see with a sump discharge pipe dumping right at the foundation. That water soaks back into the ground and ends up where? Right back in the drain tile and sump system.

By the way, none of this applies to Smittys home.

coalkirk wrote:There is no such thing as "water proofing." It's a fantasy. There's water management. Your basement is not a boat. Tar on the exterior is damp proofing only. You also cannot keep water out by applying any product on the inside of the walls. You need to manage water on the exterior of the home. You do that by correct grading around the home. The grade should have at least a slight fall away from the foundation. Rain gutter and down spouts are critical. Gutters must be kept clean and down spouts extended somewhere away from the home. If you have a sump pump, the discharge pipe must extend away from the home. I can't tell you how many homes I see with a sump discharge pipe dumping right at the foundation. That water soaks back into the ground and ends up where? Right back in the drain tile and sump system.

By the way, none of this applies to Smittys home.

When I redone my house,I had 6" of standing water in the new section of the basement before pouring the floor.I snaped a level line around the walls the installed a perimeter drain and then exited under the footer and out back yard. In 2 days all the water was gone.The on the exterior I dug all around the house to the footers,pressure washed the wall then tared, installed exterior perimeter drain.3' of crushed stone then back filled.Then changed the grades and made swails to keep water away.
My basement wasn't as bad as Smitty's basement. When it rained I had water squirting 3 ' onto the floor and I had frogs also.

The most important thing is to keep the water away from the house,you can't keep water out by just painting.

I was posting a lot last year about similar problems. Had pretty good luck placing a few tons of dirt around the foundation of my landlady's addition. The builder was not concerned with quality.
I have used a lot of readily available UGL Drylok over the years and have seen it fail many times.
Also, I used Muralo two part epoxy floor paint on the basement floor there; I would never recommend WATER BASED epoxy paint, I think it's a bs marketng ploy to overcharge. Full 100% solids epoxy, true epoxy is a different story. It cures thicker and more durable.

I fiberglassed a back wall on a pool house once, it was up against a slope and was buried against a hill. Somebody else had excavated behind this wall and put in a French drain, which didn't work apparently. Just because you have a backhoe doesn't mean you know what you're doing! I rolled the block wall on the inside with West System epoxy and placed fiberglass mesh over it. Then another coat. I never got a callback but I don't know if it held.

I still think you could fiberglass a basement like a boat hull and succeed.

coalkirk wrote:There is no such thing as "water proofing." It's a fantasy. There's water management. Your basement is not a boat. Tar on the exterior is damp proofing only. You also cannot keep water out by applying any product on the inside of the walls.

I guess it depends on how much water you have but I saw an example of how it could be done. First they trenched the perimeter, a waterproof membrane went into the hole with the excess spilling out onto the floor. Then drain tile and some gravel over the drain tile. Then the membrane was lapped over the drain tile and adhered to the wall. Gravel and concrete over the membrane. In other word the drain tile is outside the membrane, the water can't (I should probably say shouldn't) go under the membrane because the drain tile will take it way , it can only go over however far up the wall it is. It's not ideal compared to doing it outside but if you can't dig up your entire foundation it's next best thing.

By the way, none of this applies to Smittys home.

Smitty's needs to get himself a canoe for his basement.