On Sun, 28 Apr 2013 02:20:32 -0400, "CraigT"
wrote:


"Chomper" wrote in message
...

"CraigT" wrote in message
...
My walkout basement leaked a bunch of water from under the drywall right
next to my doorwall last week when we had a really hard rain storm. I
thought it was another crack in the poured concrete walls, but to my
surprise I found an area next to the doorwall where framing on the sides
of the doorwall extended down below grade. I guess what ever they had
covered this with (OSB or one by) has disintegrated in the 12 years since
the house was built and dirt had filled in the area between the studs.
When we had that exceptionally hard rain the water got wicked up over the
basement floor level.

Looks like I'm going to need to cover this with something fairly water
proof. I was thinking about maybe using a piece of one by wolmanized
that I back buttered with some foundation waterproofer tar then after I
install it cover it with blue-skin and more waterproofer. I really don't
know.

Here are some pictures.

http://i.imgur.com/Vg6hsQI.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/5cs2glG.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/I5cvHIt.jpg


Wow, I wonder how the grade/wall height passed inspection. Either the
walls were not poured high enough, or the grade is too high.

Here's an interesting discussion.
http://www.inspectionnews.net/home_i...ill-grade.html

Here's

Interesting. When I first saw this I assumed that there was an option when
houses were built to where people could have gotten a larger doorwall, so
they just framed in the sides to accommodate a smaller doorwall. That ledge
the sill plate is sitting on is the footing the basement walls were poured
on.

Any excavation of backyard would not be easy. The house faces on to a pond
and the slope away from the house is kind of important.

Looking out from that doorwall: http://i.imgur.com/zccgcSe.jpg

View of the house from the back: http://i.imgur.com/fIMddGR.jpg

Now I'm no contractor, but isn't it common for the outside of the opening of
the concrete walls around a doorwall to be framed with treated wood to make
the installation of the doorwall easier? I can't really tell if the wood is
treated, but I would have assumed I would have seen a lot more rot after 10
plus years in the ground.

So far I think my best bet is to cut that sill plate out, pour concrete to
make it higher, then reinstall a new higher sill plate on top. I might be
able to do some local landscaping around that doorwall too.

Given these latest pictures, I think that may be your only choice. In
addition, I think I'd pour a slab under the deck, pitched away from
the house. Then attach some fiberglass or corrugated metal roofing
under the deck, also pitched away from the house, to try to get as
much water as possible, as far as possible, from the house. Ground
water could still be an issue, though. It's a bad situation that may
call for professional help before you make it worse.