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[email protected] hallerb@aol.com is offline
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Default Basement slab weeping/leaking through bottom plate screw holes

On Jun 30, 8:03*am, jamesgangnc wrote:
On Jun 29, 6:24*pm, Bryan Scholtes wrote:





I am finishing my basement. I used Tapcons to secure PT 2x4 to the
basement slab.


After a week of heavy rains, I noticed that all the screw holes were
weeping water. There was definite circles of moisture (but not
standing water) coming from underneath the bottom plate.


So I am in need of expertise.


1. Does anybody know a Twin Cities expert with many years of basement
experience? I will pay for expert (and I mean EXPERT) consulting from
a grizzled veteran who's seen it all, and can express opinion without
bias.


2. I am considering pulling each screw and injecting silicone into the
holes, then re-driving the screw. What do you guys think? I was also
considering polyurethane foam or epoxy. If I shoot epoxy down the
hole, I'll NEVER get those bottom plates off.


Can't help you with #1. *You might find someone via this newsgroup but
it's doubtful.

I agree with some of the other posters about looking ourtside first.
Make sure that you have done everything you can to get the water away
from the house. *Extend the gutter drains a minimum of 10'. *Correct
any grading so you have lengthy slopes away form the house. *If all
that is already in place then the concenr would be that the water
table is simply coming up under your basement floor. *Have you ever
had any water problems before? *How long have you been in this house?
Do you believe you drilled through the slab?

I agree about epoxy verses other solutions. *It's a difficult choice.
I know nothing adheres like epoxy and it is the most likely to remain
adhered over the other options. *But as you pointed out you will have
to cut the tapcons off to remove them. *If this is where the wall sare
going to stay then maybe that is not an issue. *The trouble with other
solutions is that if they loose adherence to the concrete or tapcons
some years down the road it will be difficult to redo them. *I'd
probably go epoxy. *But I am an epoxy bigot :-)

You said this happened after a week of heavy rains. *If this is as bad
as it gets and you have never had water problems before then maybe
this isn't *a big deal. *The pt is the right thing to connect to. *I'm
wondering if maybe you should use pt as the bottom plate on your wall
as well so you have two layers. *I would definately keep the
insulation above the bottom. *What wall coverings were you
considering? *Leave a healthy gap and prime the backside of the
molding.

What's your schedule? *Can you seal the holes and then take a break
for a few months to see what happens?- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -


since water has been a issue even once its far better to do it once do
it right then relax and enjoy your new room knowing it wouldnt have a
water issue someday. DEFINTELY USE pressure treated wood for the
bottom plate.

since no one knows for sure if the water table in the area is high,
the french drain protects from all that with the gutter and weep holes
at the bottom of al, exterior walls.

it might be 5 years till the 100 year storm floods his basement, so
waiting isnt a reliable option.....