I have a small pipe that enters the home about one foot underground,
through the concrete. I slight seepage has developed. What is a good
way of sealing the leak?

If replying via e-mail, please change the digits to "o"

Thank you,

Bohdan

Dig out the leak from the outside your foundation walll (hopefully the
leak is not under a sidewak or something like this). After the leak is
exposed, seal it with some sort of caulk that is rated for damp
conditions. I do not know precisely what sealant to use, but someome
else who replies probably will. You might need pure silicone for this.
Make sure that the place you apply the caulk is free of debris. If you
caulk a disintegrating mess, you will be caulking again in a few
months. If there is concrete breakage around the pipe and perhaps
radiating down from it, you might want to consider hydraulic cement.

If you can get to the pipe from outside your house, do not waste your
time messing around with the leak from the inside. The trick to
stopping water from getting in your house is getting to it before it
hits the foundation, not after the water has penetrated it.

You should also check to see if the area around the leak has sufficient
drainage. Grade should be sloped away from the house, and make sure a
gutter downspout is not dumping water in the suspect area.

When you backfill the hole, do not dump in clay (if you removed clay in
the first place...)

mh

(Bohdan=A0Bodnar) wrote:

I have a small pipe that enters the home
about one foot underground, through the
concrete. I slight seepage has developed.
What is a good way of sealing the leak?
If replying via e-mail, please change the
digits to "o"

I sure hope someone has the answer to this question as I believe I have
the same problem. The only difference is my underground pipe that comes
through the concrete is the garden faucet.

On 5 Sep 2005 20:54:16 -0700, wrote:

Do not use caulk or silicone (below freezing), best use hydraulic
cement. You can buy it from HD or Lowes. Hydraulic cement
will dry and seal within 3 minutes. Read the instruction on the
packing and it will tell you when, how and where to apply the
cement.

Dig out the leak from the outside your foundation walll (hopefully the
leak is not under a sidewak or something like this). After the leak is
exposed, seal it with some sort of caulk that is rated for damp
conditions. I do not know precisely what sealant to use, but someome
else who replies probably will. You might need pure silicone for this.
Make sure that the place you apply the caulk is free of debris. If you
caulk a disintegrating mess, you will be caulking again in a few
months. If there is concrete breakage around the pipe and perhaps
radiating down from it, you might want to consider hydraulic cement.

If you can get to the pipe from outside your house, do not waste your
time messing around with the leak from the inside. The trick to
stopping water from getting in your house is getting to it before it
hits the foundation, not after the water has penetrated it.

You should also check to see if the area around the leak has sufficient
drainage. Grade should be sloped away from the house, and make sure a
gutter downspout is not dumping water in the suspect area.

When you backfill the hole, do not dump in clay (if you removed clay in
the first place...)

mh

"Bohdan Bodnar" wrote in message
...
I have a small pipe that enters the home about one foot underground,
through the concrete. I slight seepage has developed. What is a good
way of sealing the leak?

If replying via e-mail, please change the digits to "o"

Thank you,

Bohdan


While you say "seepage", what does that mean exactly ?
Dripping even partially down the wall, or just a bit of dampness
discoloration of the concrete ?

And what is the pipe for ?
Electrical wire conduit ?
A water line to an outside faucet ?
A water supply line from a well or city water supply?
Drain line for a sump pump?
Just a pipe that seems to serve no purpose ?


Without knowing more, I think the first thing you need to do is check the
area outside the wall, and see if there are any low spots where water pools,
or downspouts emptying into.

Always far better to eliminate the real problem, rather than patch the
symptom.

AMUN