Update to: Leak in my basement (found the source)
 

UPDATE:

Well, I opened up the wall and found the source of the leak. There was crack
in the concrete wall that had been caulked over. It rained a couple of times
today and water poured out of the crack about 4 inches off the floor.

http://pics.bbzzdd.com/users/Squisher/crack.jpg

The good news is that that area is only 2 feet under grade.

The strange thing is that after I pulled some of the loose caulk away was
that a lot of the water coming out of the crack that then drained out of
1/8" vertical separation between the wall and the floor.

Looking around the interwebs it looks like every crack repair company says
their solution is better than all the rest. Anybody got any suggestions?
DIY?



__________ Information from ESET NOD32 Antivirus, version of virus signature database 4271 (20090723) __________

The message was checked by ESET NOD32 Antivirus.

http://www.eset.com

Update to: Leak in my basement (found the source)
 

On Thu, 23 Jul 2009 16:23:53 -0400, "CraigT"
wrote:

UPDATE:

Well, I opened up the wall and found the source of the leak. There was crack
in the concrete wall that had been caulked over. It rained a couple of times
today and water poured out of the crack about 4 inches off the floor.


Does it leak after the sprinklers run? If so, consider moving that one
or capping it off.


http://pics.bbzzdd.com/users/Squisher/crack.jpg

The good news is that that area is only 2 feet under grade.


You could dig a good size area out below grade and tar/place a
membrane of the outside wall. Dig deeper and add some stone for
drainage.

The strange thing is that after I pulled some of the loose caulk away was
that a lot of the water coming out of the crack that then drained out of
1/8" vertical separation between the wall and the floor.


To really prepare the crack for repair, it may be necessary to use a
4" angle grinder with a diamond blade to slightly open/bevel the crack
up a little. It makes for a better repair, Imo.

Looking around the interwebs it looks like every crack repair company says
their solution is better than all the rest. Anybody got any suggestions?
DIY?


Butyl caulk (bitch-a-thane) will stick to a ball of lard. They build
buses, trains and other things with it.

DIY two cents.

Update to: Leak in my basement (found the source)
 

Caulk isn't very good for having water push it out of a hole/crack
like that (it'd work better on the outside of the wall).

How about patching with concrete then painting over with leak-blocking
paint? I got some of that paint at HD and it seems to work pretty
well.

Update to: Leak in my basement (found the source)
 

"CraigT" wrote in
:

I forget the name but the hardware stores sell some crack repair stuff that
expands in the crack which prevents water pressure from pushing it out of
the crack. You can squeeze it in from the inside of the basement. Best
results require good cleaning of the crack. Only use the expanding stuff.
People will try to sell you on hydraulic cement but that does not expand
and will not solve your problem.

Update to: Leak in my basement (found the source)
 

Oren wrote:
On Thu, 23 Jul 2009 16:23:53 -0400, "CraigT"
wrote:

UPDATE:

Well, I opened up the wall and found the source of the leak. There was crack
in the concrete wall that had been caulked over. It rained a couple of times
today and water poured out of the crack about 4 inches off the floor.


Does it leak after the sprinklers run? If so, consider moving that one
or capping it off.


http://pics.bbzzdd.com/users/Squisher/crack.jpg

The good news is that that area is only 2 feet under grade.


You could dig a good size area out below grade and tar/place a
membrane of the outside wall. Dig deeper and add some stone for
drainage.

The strange thing is that after I pulled some of the loose caulk away was
that a lot of the water coming out of the crack that then drained out of
1/8" vertical separation between the wall and the floor.


To really prepare the crack for repair, it may be necessary to use a
4" angle grinder with a diamond blade to slightly open/bevel the crack
up a little. It makes for a better repair, Imo.

Looking around the interwebs it looks like every crack repair company says
their solution is better than all the rest. Anybody got any suggestions?
DIY?


Butyl caulk (bitch-a-thane) will stick to a ball of lard. They build
buses, trains and other things with it.

DIY two cents.


but if water is "pouring out" patching the crack could just cause
hydraulic pressure on the wall, and then the crack will open up more (as
well as making the wall bulge.) How's the french drains?

nate

--
replace "roosters" with "cox" to reply.
http://members.cox.net/njnagel

Update to: Leak in my basement (found the source)
 

on 7/23/2009 6:50 PM (ET) Reno wrote the following:
"CraigT" wrote in
:

I forget the name but the hardware stores sell some crack repair stuff that
expands in the crack which prevents water pressure from pushing it out of
the crack. You can squeeze it in from the inside of the basement. Best
results require good cleaning of the crack. Only use the expanding stuff.
People will try to sell you on hydraulic cement but that does not expand
and will not solve your problem.

UGL DryLok. Fast Plug Can be used even when the water is flowing.

Update to: Leak in my basement (found the source)
 

on 7/23/2009 7:13 PM (ET) willshak wrote the following:
on 7/23/2009 6:50 PM (ET) Reno wrote the following:
"CraigT" wrote in
:
I forget the name but the hardware stores sell some crack repair
stuff that expands in the crack which prevents water pressure from
pushing it out of the crack. You can squeeze it in from the inside of
the basement. Best results require good cleaning of the crack. Only
use the expanding stuff. People will try to sell you on hydraulic
cement but that does not expand and will not solve your problem.

UGL DryLok. Fast Plug Can be used even when the water is flowing.
Sorry, move the period after DryLok to after Fast Plug.

Update to: Leak in my basement (found the source)
 

CraigT wrote:
UPDATE:

Well, I opened up the wall and found the source of the leak. There
was crack in the concrete wall that had been caulked over. It rained a
couple
of times today and water poured out of the crack about 4 inches off the
floor.

http://pics.bbzzdd.com/users/Squisher/crack.jpg

The good news is that that area is only 2 feet under grade.

The strange thing is that after I pulled some of the loose caulk away
was that a lot of the water coming out of the crack that then drained out
of 1/8" vertical separation between the wall and the floor.

Looking around the interwebs it looks like every crack repair company
says their solution is better than all the rest. Anybody got any
suggestions? DIY?


Whatever you decide, patch if from the outside (also).

Update to: Leak in my basement (found the source)
 

On Jul 23, 3:23*pm, "CraigT" wrote:
UPDATE:

Well, I opened up the wall and found the source of the leak. There was crack
in the concrete wall that had been caulked over. It rained a couple of times
today and water poured out of the crack about 4 inches off the floor.

http://pics.bbzzdd.com/users/Squisher/crack.jpg

The good news is that that area is only 2 feet under grade.

The strange thing is that after I pulled some of the loose caulk away was
that a lot of the water coming out of the crack that then drained out of
1/8" vertical separation between the wall and the floor.

Looking around the interwebs it looks like every crack repair company says
their solution is better than all the rest. Anybody got any suggestions?
DIY?

__________ Information from ESET NOD32 Antivirus, version of virus signature database 4271 (20090723) __________

The message was checked by ESET NOD32 Antivirus.

http://www.eset.com

After all these years the crack is dirty and maybe moldy, no repair
will adhere until its cleaned and the only way I know is Muriatic acid
or chisel and grind into clean concrete, acid takes a bit of care and
needs a good hosing , it fumes and you wont remove anything loose.You
can do two part epoxy, silicone caulk and other caulks, mortar, and im
sure many other ways to stop it. If you know it has settled completely
mortar would work fine. On old foundations ive chiseled to remove
anything loose and make a bigger hole so I can get deeper with the
repair and used mortar and oil base UGL since my wall was real wet.
The foundation is thick so try to be sure you fill in as much as you
can, more than 1/4", at least 1" id guess. It may still be settling
thats why I thought of silicone sealant caulk, it will flex and hold
longer. Never buy old silicone, look at the expiration date and dont
go near it as it might have been stored at 150f in a whore house
[warehouse] in mexico.

Update to: Leak in my basement (found the source)
 

On Jul 23, 7:13*pm, "HeyBub" wrote:
CraigT wrote:
UPDATE:

Well, I opened up the wall and found the source of the leak. There
was crack in the concrete wall that had been caulked over. It rained a
couple
of times today and water poured out of the crack about 4 inches off the
floor.

http://pics.bbzzdd.com/users/Squisher/crack.jpg

The good news is that that area is only 2 feet under grade.

The strange thing is that after I pulled some of the loose caulk away
was that a lot of the water coming out of the crack that then drained out
of 1/8" vertical separation between the wall and the floor.

Looking around the interwebs it looks like every crack repair company
says their solution is better than all the rest. Anybody got any
suggestions? DIY?

Whatever you decide, patch if from the outside (also).- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Since its only 2 ft down, outside won be that hard

Update to: Leak in my basement (found the source)
 

The strange thing is that after I pulled some of the loose caulk away was
that a lot of the water coming out of the crack that then drained out of
1/8" vertical separation between the wall and the floor.

That indicates that you have drainage issues, which is probably the
reason why you have cracks in the wall to begin with. The soil around
the foundation is over saturated with water and the resulting
hydrostatic pressure is what is causing the problem.
No crack repair will hold if you don't do anything to solve the
drainage issue and relieve the hydrostatic pressure. Check your
gutters, extend the downspouts as far from the house as possible,
grade the terrain as to slope away from the foundation and keep
sprinkles, garden hoses and plants that need constant watering away
from the foundation walls. In other words, do your best to keep that
soil as dry as possible.

If that doesn't help, you might need to install a new drain tile.
Formerly you would have to dig out the foundation and install or
replace the drain tile by the footing. Nowadays, you can do it
internally, installing the drain tile along the internal perimeter of
basement walls, to collect the water and a sump pump to get it out and
away from the basement.

Once you relieve that pressure you will need to clean up (and dry up)
the wall crack and then patch it.Keep in mind that basement walls
move: they settle with the soil and they expand and contract with
temperature variations.So hard cement based compounds will not work,
and will be only a temporary solution. You will need a rubbery
compound that will follow the wall movements without crumbling or
cracking.

Here's some information on wall cracks -

http://www.basement-repair.com/found...ll-cracks.html

And on wall crack repair, with an explanation of all different methods
and options:

http://www.basement-repair.com/found...al-cracks.html

Hope that helps.

Update to: Leak in my basement (found the source)
 

On Jul 24, 9:11�am, Cy Freeney wrote:
The strange thing is that after I pulled some of the loose caulk away was
that a lot of the water coming out of the crack that then drained out of
1/8" vertical separation between the wall and the floor.

That indicates that you have drainage issues, which is probably the
reason why you have cracks in the wall to begin with. The soil around
the foundation is over saturated with water and the resulting
hydrostatic pressure is what is causing the problem.
No crack repair will hold if you don't do anything to solve the
drainage issue and relieve the hydrostatic pressure. Check your
gutters, extend the downspouts as far from the house as possible,
grade the terrain as to slope away from the foundation and keep
sprinkles, garden hoses and plants that need constant watering away
from the foundation walls. In other words, do your best to keep that
soil as dry as possible.

If that doesn't help, you might need to install a new drain tile.
Formerly you would have to dig out the foundation and install or
replace the drain tile by the footing. Nowadays, you can do it
internally, installing the drain tile along the internal perimeter of
basement walls, to collect the water and a sump pump to get it out and
away from the basement.

Once you relieve that pressure you will need to clean up (and dry up)
the wall crack and then patch it.Keep in mind that basement walls
move: they settle with the soil and they expand and contract with
temperature variations.So hard cement based compounds will not work,
and will be only a temporary solution. You will need a rubbery
compound that will follow the wall movements without crumbling or
cracking.

Here's some information on wall cracks -

http://www.basement-repair.com/found...ll-cracks.html

And on wall crack repair, with an explanation of all different methods
and options:

http://www.basement-repair.com/found...ertical-cracks....

Hope that helps.

interior french drain is the best solution once you elminate the easy
fixes like downspouts.

theres no way to seal the walls good enough and besides they are
cracking

Update to: Leak in my basement (found the source)
 

On Jul 24, 10:41*am, bob haller wrote:
On Jul 24, 9:11 am, Cy Freeney wrote:





The strange thing is that after I pulled some of the loose caulk away was
that a lot of the water coming out of the crack that then drained out of
1/8" vertical separation between the wall and the floor.

That indicates that you have drainage issues, which is probably the
reason why you have cracks in the wall to begin with. The soil around
the foundation is over saturated with water and the resulting
hydrostatic pressure is what is causing the problem.
No crack repair will hold if you don't do anything to solve the
drainage issue and relieve the hydrostatic pressure. Check your
gutters, extend the downspouts as far from the house as possible,
grade the terrain as to slope away from the foundation and keep
sprinkles, garden hoses and plants that need constant watering away
from the foundation walls. In other words, do your best to keep that
soil as dry as possible.

If that doesn't help, you might need to install a new drain tile.
Formerly you would have to dig out the foundation and install or
replace the drain tile by the footing. Nowadays, you can do it
internally, installing the drain tile along the internal perimeter of
basement walls, to collect the water and a sump pump to get it out and
away from the basement.

Once you relieve that pressure you will need to clean up (and dry up)
the wall crack and then patch it.Keep in mind that basement walls
move: they settle with the soil and they expand and contract with
temperature variations.So hard cement based compounds will not work,
and will be only a temporary solution. You will need a rubbery
compound that will follow the wall movements without crumbling or
cracking.

Here's some information on wall cracks -

http://www.basement-repair.com/found...ll-cracks.html

And on wall crack repair, with an explanation of all different methods
and options:

http://www.basement-repair.com/found...ertical-cracks....

Hope that helps.

interior french drain is the best solution once you elminate the easy
fixes like downspouts.

theres no way to seal the walls good enough and besides they are
cracking- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

I agree with some of the other posters. The best first move is to get
the water away from the house as much as possible. Extend the
gutters. Reposition the sprinkler head so it is away from the house
ans sprays away. If needed regrade so you have swells that direct
water away.

If you have to seal the wall, do it from the outside. Sealing on the
inside is worthless and will simply fail again. Plus the wall is
being damaged by the water.

Update to: Leak in my basement (found the source)
 

On Jul 23, 3:23*pm, "CraigT" wrote:
UPDATE:

Well, I opened up the wall and found the source of the leak. There was crack
in the concrete wall that had been caulked over. It rained a couple of times
today and water poured out of the crack about 4 inches off the floor.

http://pics.bbzzdd.com/users/Squisher/crack.jpg

The good news is that that area is only 2 feet under grade.

The strange thing is that after I pulled some of the loose caulk away was
that a lot of the water coming out of the crack that then drained out of
1/8" vertical separation between the wall and the floor.

Looking around the interwebs it looks like every crack repair company says
their solution is better than all the rest. Anybody got any suggestions?
DIY?

__________ Information from ESET NOD32 Antivirus, version of virus signature database 4271 (20090723) __________

The message was checked by ESET NOD32 Antivirus.

http://www.eset.com

In my old house I had a crack "volclayed" with an injection method, it
worked, but not 100%. If it is only 2 feet below grade I'd just dig
it up, expose and clean the wall and have someone repair the crack and
waterproof it properly. Its hit or miss with the injection method
(IMHO) unless they improved it in the past 15 years or so.

Update to: Leak in my basement (found the source)
 

On Thu, 23 Jul 2009 14:40:33 -0700 (PDT), Shaun Eli
wrote:

Caulk isn't very good for having water push it out of a hole/crack
like that (it'd work better on the outside of the wall).

How about patching with concrete then painting over with leak-blocking
paint? I got some of that paint at HD and it seems to work pretty
well.


Holes drilled at an angle into the crack, with expanding sealer
(usually urethane or an epoxy)) forced in fills the crack from the
middle out to both surfaces and is considered a permanent repair

Update to: Leak in my basement (found the source)
 

On Thu, 23 Jul 2009 22:50:08 GMT, Reno wrote:

"CraigT" wrote in
:

I forget the name but the hardware stores sell some crack repair stuff that
expands in the crack which prevents water pressure from pushing it out of
the crack. You can squeeze it in from the inside of the basement. Best
results require good cleaning of the crack. Only use the expanding stuff.
People will try to sell you on hydraulic cement but that does not expand
and will not solve your problem.
Hydraulic cement DOES expand. At least the stuff I've used over the
years does.

Update to: Leak in my basement (found the source)
 

"Cy Freeney" wrote in message
...

The strange thing is that after I pulled some of the loose caulk away was
that a lot of the water coming out of the crack that then drained out of
1/8" vertical separation between the wall and the floor.

That indicates that you have drainage issues, which is probably the
reason why you have cracks in the wall to begin with. The soil around
the foundation is over saturated with water and the resulting
hydrostatic pressure is what is causing the problem.
No crack repair will hold if you don't do anything to solve the
drainage issue and relieve the hydrostatic pressure. Check your
gutters, extend the downspouts as far from the house as possible,
grade the terrain as to slope away from the foundation and keep
sprinkles, garden hoses and plants that need constant watering away
from the foundation walls. In other words, do your best to keep that
soil as dry as possible.

If that doesn't help, you might need to install a new drain tile.
Formerly you would have to dig out the foundation and install or
replace the drain tile by the footing. Nowadays, you can do it
internally, installing the drain tile along the internal perimeter of
basement walls, to collect the water and a sump pump to get it out and
away from the basement.

Once you relieve that pressure you will need to clean up (and dry up)
the wall crack and then patch it.Keep in mind that basement walls
move: they settle with the soil and they expand and contract with
temperature variations.So hard cement based compounds will not work,
and will be only a temporary solution. You will need a rubbery
compound that will follow the wall movements without crumbling or
cracking.

Here's some information on wall cracks -

http://www.basement-repair.com/found...ll-cracks.html

And on wall crack repair, with an explanation of all different methods
and options:

http://www.basement-repair.com/found...al-cracks.html

Hope that helps.

Thanks for the links.

I don't think the ground is super saturated or is their high hydrostatic
pressure. The area of the crack is only 2 feet under grade. The crack
seems to be a stress crack from settling (house is only 8 years old). The
water has been held back for the entire 4 years I've been the house by
nothing more that caulk. The leak is 20 inches to right of that window and
note the grade: http://pics.bbzzdd.com/users/Squisher/leak.jpg

Gutters are clean and twenty plus feet up in a 8 year old sub-division. Not
much chance for plugging unless done by varmints. All downspouts enter
irrigation pipe in which they and my sump pump drain into a pond that runs
behind all the houses. http://pics.bbzzdd.com/users/Squisher/IMG_6629.JPG
Walkout basement floor is probably 6 feet higher than the high water mark of
the pond.

My sump pump only runs during times of very inclement weather.

Given that the crack is only 2 feet under grade I'd like to address the
crack from the outside, but all the flexible repair products seem to be
designed for use from the interior.






__________ Information from ESET NOD32 Antivirus, version of virus signature database 4275 (20090724) __________

The message was checked by ESET NOD32 Antivirus.

http://www.eset.com

Update to: Leak in my basement (found the source)
 

"CraigT" wrote in message
...

"Cy Freeney" wrote in message
...

The strange thing is that after I pulled some of the loose caulk away
was
that a lot of the water coming out of the crack that then drained out of
1/8" vertical separation between the wall and the floor.

That indicates that you have drainage issues, which is probably the
reason why you have cracks in the wall to begin with. The soil around
the foundation is over saturated with water and the resulting
hydrostatic pressure is what is causing the problem.
No crack repair will hold if you don't do anything to solve the
drainage issue and relieve the hydrostatic pressure. Check your
gutters, extend the downspouts as far from the house as possible,
grade the terrain as to slope away from the foundation and keep
sprinkles, garden hoses and plants that need constant watering away
from the foundation walls. In other words, do your best to keep that
soil as dry as possible.

If that doesn't help, you might need to install a new drain tile.
Formerly you would have to dig out the foundation and install or
replace the drain tile by the footing. Nowadays, you can do it
internally, installing the drain tile along the internal perimeter of
basement walls, to collect the water and a sump pump to get it out and
away from the basement.

Once you relieve that pressure you will need to clean up (and dry up)
the wall crack and then patch it.Keep in mind that basement walls
move: they settle with the soil and they expand and contract with
temperature variations.So hard cement based compounds will not work,
and will be only a temporary solution. You will need a rubbery
compound that will follow the wall movements without crumbling or
cracking.

Here's some information on wall cracks -

http://www.basement-repair.com/found...ll-cracks.html

And on wall crack repair, with an explanation of all different methods
and options:

http://www.basement-repair.com/found...al-cracks.html

Hope that helps.

Thanks for the links.

I don't think the ground is super saturated or is their high hydrostatic
pressure. The area of the crack is only 2 feet under grade. The crack
seems to be a stress crack from settling (house is only 8 years old). The
water has been held back for the entire 4 years I've been the house by
nothing more that caulk. The leak is 20 inches to right of that window and
note the grade: http://pics.bbzzdd.com/users/Squisher/leak.jpg

Gutters are clean and twenty plus feet up in a 8 year old sub-division.
Not much chance for plugging unless done by varmints. All downspouts enter
irrigation pipe in which they and my sump pump drain into a pond that runs
behind all the houses. http://pics.bbzzdd.com/users/Squisher/IMG_6629.JPG
Walkout basement floor is probably 6 feet higher than the high water mark
of the pond.

My sump pump only runs during times of very inclement weather.

Given that the crack is only 2 feet under grade I'd like to address the
crack from the outside, but all the flexible repair products seem to be
designed for use from the interior.






__________ Information from ESET NOD32 Antivirus, version of virus
signature database 4275 (20090724) __________

The message was checked by ESET NOD32 Antivirus.

http://www.eset.com




Use some Quikrete Hydraulic Water Stop Cement to fix the crack and then seal
the area with roofing tar/foundation coating or similar...

Update to: Leak in my basement (found the source)
 

Dig outside and fix it right. You won't have to worry about it again. I
worked for a builder and every time they made me waste my time trying to
" **** repair " a cracked wall from inside a year later I was there
facing a very ****ed off home owner.And it never seemed to fail It would
be in the winter I would be out there digging in the snow.Those damn
builders always did it the cheepest way twice.

Jerry


http://community.webtv.net/awoodbutc...oodWorkingPage



http://community.webtv.net/awoodbutcher/1974RuppCentair

Update to: Leak in my basement (found the source)
 

On Fri, 24 Jul 2009 22:16:51 -0400, "CraigT"
wrote:

Given that the crack is only 2 feet under grade I'd like to address the
crack from the outside, but all the flexible repair products seem to be
designed for use from the interior.

A butyl rubber membrane. Some types have adhesive on one side. A piece
a pond liner or shower pan liner with tar will stop the leak.

Sample pic:

http://www.selec****erproofingusa.co...20basement.jpg

Update to: Leak in my basement (found the source)
 

CraigT wrote:

I don't think the ground is super saturated or is their high hydrostatic
pressure. The area of the crack is only 2 feet under grade. The crack
seems to be a stress crack from settling (house is only 8 years old). The
water has been held back for the entire 4 years I've been the house by
nothing more that caulk. The leak is 20 inches to right of that window and
note the grade: http://pics.bbzzdd.com/users/Squisher/leak.jpg

Where is the water coming from? Your house is not a swimming pool.
Trying to stop leaks seldom/never works for long. You first must
identify where the water is coming from. Most of the time it comes from
leaky gutters or from drainage pipe often wrapped around your house tied
into the downspouts. You can find out by sticking a hose in the gutters
and run water for at least an hour, or run the downspouts temporarily
through a flexible downspout hose extension that takes the water away
from the foundation

If you are getting ground water (not from your roof) you probably will
need to put in a french drain. If your walls are only 2 feet below
grade, a french drain would be fairly easy. Fixing gutters or drainage
tile is the easiest and easiest to investigate.

Gutters are clean and twenty plus feet up in a 8 year old sub-division. Not
much chance for plugging unless done by varmints.

It's pretty easy to look at them when it rains and make sure they are
not leaking. It's also possible that the drainage tile is leaking from
settling. roots, poor installation etc. I once had a house that
leaked, and turnout the terra cotta drainage tile around the house was
destroyed. It was about 1 1/2 feet below the ground and looked like
someone attacked it with a sledge hammer...

The idea is to remove the water source if possible. Removing or
stopping the water after it seeps through your walls is not a good
solution.

Foundation cracks are part of life, no need to worry much about them if
if water is out of the equation, which is what you want to shoot for.

All downspouts enter
irrigation pipe in which they and my sump pump drain into a pond that runs
behind all the houses. http://pics.bbzzdd.com/users/Squisher/IMG_6629.JPG
Walkout basement floor is probably 6 feet higher than the high water mark of
the pond.

My sump pump only runs during times of very inclement weather.

I guess you don't have enough fall to slope a pipe to the pond? I also
assume your basement leaks only during times of very inclement weather,
when the sump pump runs?

Given that the crack is only 2 feet under grade I'd like to address the
crack from the outside,

Is your basement only 2 feet under grade, or is just this crack 2 feet
under grade? Are your walls concrete block, poured cement or something
else? If water is building up around your walls, there are very likely
many places it seeps in.

but all the flexible repair products seem to be
designed for use from the interior.

Thats because it seems far easier to try the inside repair. Often it's
easier to fix a gutter/drainage tile problem. After you do this inside
"fix" several times, you will eventually be back to finding the source
of the water, and stopping it from reaching your walls in the first
place. If you need a french drain, you will be digging out the outside
walls, and there are lots of products intended to seal the walls from
the outside.
The big thing still is to get the water away, if you can't, then french
drain is the solution.

--
Jack
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