standing water in basement

[Rÿcher]

I have some good sized puddles of water in the basement. We're planning on treating the walls and floors this coming summer to make it a little more waterproof but in the here and now, what can I do to get rid of the existing standing water in the basement?

I tried kitty litter. Big mistake as it just turned to water-saturated clay that I tracked through the house.

Cedar chips that you might get at the pet store?

would they sell something at the hardware store that will sop up water?

 

[trekkiedane]

My grandma used newspaper.

Works great for minor puddles -and you can hang 'em up to dry and re-use

 

[Rÿcher]

I used terrycloth towels (four of them) and it barely touched the water level so I don't think newspaper will help. Thanks anyway.

 

[JimCasy]

The store I used to work at got a lot of water in the back room every time it rained...we used a wet/dry vac.

 

[Rÿcher]

The store I used to work at got a lot of water in the back room every time it rained...we used a wet/dry vac.

That's what we're thinking but I was hoping for a quick, cheap fix. See, my hobby bench is down there and I'm itching to work on a kit and the stool would be smack dab in the middle of the pool.

 

[Maestro]

Get a couple of chlorine tabs and use it as a swimming pool.

 

[Brolan]

Does your basement have a sump? That's a hole in floor where the water collects. If so, put a sump pump in there.

 

[Peacemaker]

Yes, the sump pump is good.

Also, I recommend you get a dehumidifier and turn it up to "high." When it is full the light will go off. Poor out the water either outside or in a rain barrel. This is a good way to capture water for use on any plants (indoors or outdoors) you have as well. That's what we do. Be eco-friendly...don't waste the water.

 

[Rÿcher]

Does your basement have a sump? That's a hole in floor where the water collects. If so, put a sump pump in there.

hell yeah. Would help matters a great deal if the house weren't built on an aquifer the sump pump runs 24/7 and the walls leak in several areas and the floor isn't even in all places so water collects in some spots. As it happens, where I chose to put my hobby bench.

We have out washer and dryer, furnace and water heater up on cinder blocks in case of pump failure which has happened before. Ever have to wade through 40° shin-deep water? Hurts like a motherfucker.

 

[Outpost4]

I'm working on a book entitled "101 Ways To Flood Your Basement". I'm up to #12.

You have to get that stuff out or the mold will be terrible. Use a bunch of towels. I grabbed every beach towel in my house, plus every old towel, and soaked it up. I then wrung them out and put them in the dryer, only to repeat the cycle 90 minutes later. You also need heavy duty humidifiers.

You might want to consider a beaver system, where the water is trapped in gutters at the base of the walls and sent to the sump pump. Mine works very well.

Unless I find #13, I now have a dry basement.

 

[Rÿcher]

I take it you mean dehumidifiers? The humidity down there is pretty low. I have a digital gauge on my bench and it's always about 55-65%. it's one of those you can buy at the pet store to keep track of your lizard's temperature and humidity in its habitat. I use it to make sure I don't spray paint my models over 65% humidity. Otherwise, the paint won't dry.

 

[Locutus of Bored]

Get a bag (or bags, depending on how much water you have) of water absorbent polymers from a hardware/garden store. Insta-Snow is a good example (you can get a large bag for $15-$20).

They're usually white powders similar to what is used in diapers to make them super absorbent. You pour some on the water, it swells up in size as it absorbs it, and then you simply sweep it up. It's totally non-toxic, dries quickly so even if you track it upstairs it won't be clay-like or muddy, and absorbs water like crazy.

 

[Kestra]

^ I'll have to remember that the next time my parents' basement gets water again. Thanks!

 

[CaptainStoner]

The water makes for a high risk of mold also. If the water is a drainage problem, like rainwater or runoff running along the side of the house and getting in that way, it can be fixed via landscaping techniques. I did a lot of that work around 98-00. It basically involves the use of landscape fabric with medium-large gravel atop it all along the sides of the house, out to around 18", and possibly using a plastic drain and some piping if the water flow is heavy or in a problem spot.

 

[Outpost4]

I take it you mean dehumidifiers? The humidity down there is pretty low. I have a digital gauge on my bench and it's always about 55-65%. it's one of those you can buy at the pet store to keep track of your lizard's temperature and humidity in its habitat. I use it to make sure I don't spray paint my models over 65% humidity. Otherwise, the paint won't dry.

Yes, I meant dehumidifiers, and 55-65% isn't low. 30% is low.

 

[anti-matter]

I suppose you could put some rain gutters up and redirect the water away from the foundation. That's pretty easy and inexpensive to do...btw you're wasting time/money until you lock down that problem.

 

[Elmo Dukat]

SPOCKED and I were dealing with a few water issues last winter in the basement. I know it's cold, but there are a few things you can do to try to prevent the water from collecting now (you don't need to wait until spring or summer):

Get cement caulking. It's in the masonry section of your local home store.

Get a masonry chisel. They're usually only a couple of dollars, in the same area.

Find the cracks in your basement. On the walls, on the floors. You might need to do some cleaning/rearranging to really see all of these.

Then you should use the chisel to cut a small mason's key wherever you see cracks. That is, cut inside of the crack a little deeper horizontally than the outside of the crack. That is so when you inject the cement caulking, it will seal a lot stronger than if you just filled the crack as-is, which might just crack all over again!

Set up a space heater or two in whatever part of the basement you're working. This will help the masonry to cure. This part is optional---we didn't have a problem, esp with the masonry caulking.

Seal the cracks with masonry caulking.

For big holes, you can use Great Stuff Expanding foam. That's usually found in the insulation section. We found it works quite well!

For areas that seems to be ALL little cracks/holes, or seem to be very permeable in general, buy a small bucket of water-stopping hydraulic cement in the masonry section of your home store. Mix it (usually four parts powder, one part water) and use a concrete trowel to spread it levelly over those permeable areas.

Let cure. This takes a few days in warmer weather, but in cold weather could take a couple of weeks.

Once cured, vacuum the area of tiny particles.

Buy some Masonry Dry-Lok with an anti-mold additive (you can ask the person at the paint desk of your home store to put in the additive).

Buy rough-grade, thick-knap rollers. Roll the paint on your walls. Make sure the area is absolutely dry first! Try to warm the room a little while you do this, as it will help the paint dry faster.

Put on a second coat, making sure to fill all cracks and crevices.

Voila! That should help seal your basement, and protect it from mold/mildew.

When summer comes around, you should consider other options for protecting your basement, given your location. Just a sump pump might not be enough, and sealing cracks and holes, while it can do a lot, might be like putting a bandaid over a gaping wound.

Here's some resources:

Masonry tools

A video on how to repair cracks and leaks in basements using hydraulic cement

 

[Rÿcher]

I suppose you could put some rain gutters up and redirect the water away from the foundation. That's pretty easy and inexpensive to do...btw you're wasting time/money until you lock down that problem.

good point

SPOCKED and I were dealing with a few water issues last winter in the basement. I know it's cold, but there are a few things you can do to try to prevent the water from collecting now (you don't need to wait until spring or summer):

Get cement caulking. It's in the masonry section of your local home store.

Get a masonry chisel. They're usually only a couple of dollars, in the same area.

Find the cracks in your basement. On the walls, on the floors. You might need to do some cleaning/rearranging to really see all of these.

Then you should use the chisel to cut a small mason's key wherever you see cracks. That is, cut inside of the crack a little deeper horizontally than the outside of the crack. That is so when you inject the cement caulking, it will seal a lot stronger than if you just filled the crack as-is, which might just crack all over again!

Set up a space heater or two in whatever part of the basement you're working. This will help the masonry to cure. This part is optional---we didn't have a problem, esp with the masonry caulking.

Seal the cracks with masonry caulking.

For big holes, you can use Great Stuff Expanding foam. That's usually found in the insulation section. We found it works quite well!

For areas that seems to be ALL little cracks/holes, or seem to be very permeable in general, buy a small bucket of water-stopping hydraulic cement in the masonry section of your home store. Mix it (usually four parts powder, one part water) and use a concrete trowel to spread it levelly over those permeable areas.

Let cure. This takes a few days in warmer weather, but in cold weather could take a couple of weeks.

Once cured, vacuum the area of tiny particles.

Buy some Masonry Dry-Lok with an anti-mold additive (you can ask the person at the paint desk of your home store to put in the additive).

Buy rough-grade, thick-knap rollers. Roll the paint on your walls. Make sure the area is absolutely dry first! Try to warm the room a little while you do this, as it will help the paint dry faster.

Put on a second coat, making sure to fill all cracks and crevices.

Voila! That should help seal your basement, and protect it from mold/mildew.

When summer comes around, you should consider other options for protecting your basement, given your location. Just a sump pump might not be enough, and sealing cracks and holes, while it can do a lot, might be like putting a bandaid over a gaping wound.

Here's some resources:

Masonry tools

A video on how to repair cracks and leaks in basements using hydraulic cement

will do!

 

[Holdfast]

Get a couple of chlorine tabs and use it as a swimming pool.

This is the kind of original thinking that once made America great, and will do so again!

Get a bag (or bags, depending on how much water you have) of water absorbent polymers from a hardware/garden store. Insta-Snow is a good example (you can get a large bag for $15-$20).

Plus, you'll have a snowy basement. Dress up in a red suit & fake beard, stick a sign in the yard advertising Santa's Grotto and make enough money from the neighbourhood kids to fund all the home repairs you can dream of!