Basement interior drain systems - what you need to know before spending your $$$

These systems are super-popular and the sales people make them sound like the best way to deal with your water intrusion problems. Truth is, they don't stop the problem the right way, it's just merely a method of water diversion. There's still going to be moisture saturated soil pushing on the walls, efflorescence, mold, masonry deterioration, spalling, etc. etc. etc.
Watch this video to see what I mean.
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[@jroc62782]

I feel like pointing out how you dislike a water management solution and not giving any other solutions does not properly inform anyone who watches.

[@Biker65]

He said. You wanna attack it from the outside

[@Troy-rl4tl]

How long ago was this done before the wall looked like that?

[@alexcolombi3620]

Block wall foundation are bad to begin with

[@Timmyskills]

You need more education man. There is water coming from underneath the slab. Just shows you aren't an expert

[@omarvelazquez2955]

I’m not an expert so I can’t say you wrong or not I just have a question if it’s coming from the floor why the walls have so much water damage?

[@Timmyskills]

@@omarvelazquez2955 it seeps up from underneath, and soaks into the walls, on block walls you should drill holes a few inches up to keep them drained

[@grandfatherwilkens2987]

What do you recommend instead? You say it's better to fix the problem from the outside, do you just mean installation of a French drain?

[@TNewm22]

Google Mark Anderson Waterproofing. He shows process of excavation, sealing cracks and walls with hydraulic cement and tar. Backfill with gravel to reduce wall pressure

[@irockstar7352]

But he doesn’t tell you when you do it on the outside a route can go right through your footer and cost water to come in on the inside anyway so do it on the outside doesn’t help eventually it will still leak roots go through everything

[@sl5311]

Yes my wife's cousin has to hire someone to come and scrape out the roots every couple of years.

[@chrisscottwatson]

I would put money on there being no holes drilled in the bottom of the block.

[@ronaldrobb7043]

So if your only answer is to do it from the outside , how do you guarantee water wont come up through the floor from hydrostatic pressure you cant! You did not mention the bottom cores of the block are drilled to relive the pressure. And you are dealing with the water at the source which is under the floor. every situation requires different answers. If you do not replace footing drains, digging the outside can wreak havoc by always having water sitting next to your foundation. Always hire a Basement contractor who deals with structural issues, that you can trust, do not trust some video where the person is not well versed in waterproofing like this one.

[@furbabe]

This is the most critical aspect of water management. However nowadays it is difficult to find a knowledgeable and trustworthy person. Sometimes knowledgeable people are not to be trusted; sometimes trustworthy people don’t have the ability….

[@durban23496]

Exactly, he does not even address the ground water rising

[@TruthProvider]

Precisely. Water can come directly from below the basement slab (aquifer / ground water rising). Excavating the outer basement walls to water-proofing them may not solve the problem then because the moisture isn't coming from the outside wall areas.

[@losvargas22]

Small price for having a dry basement

[@keithh1206]

I hate how home inspectors act like they know stuff. You've never worked in any trades or construction, you don't know shit.

[@dattdude2000]

These are my thoughts as well man ... like water will find the easiest route and if you have existing routes that it’s use to traveling who says that it will travel towards these drain-tiles... I figure that water is as you say still pushing against foundations

[@grandtheftauto1233]

We need more awareness for this

[@Rick-tb4so]

Stopping it at the source is the best. How many homes can bring in a backhoe and dig completely around your home? Don't waste your money on painting the inside blocks, doesn't stop water. Some of your blocks are getting soft because of the amount of water coming in over time. Were weeping holes drilled in the bottom of the blocks ? If they forgot to drill them they defeated the purpose. The blocks are hollow and there isn't any reason why the water wont flow down to the weeping holes. The water maybe coming in through the mortar joints which can be chipped out and replace with new. The gutter system doesn't work, they install it on top of the footer, instead of next/bottom of the footer.

[@korenstewart7450]

Drill holes in the blocks to relieve pressure and place a drainage system below the top of footing. This one looks like the just set it on top of the footing - that won't drain any water. Ideal to fix outside.....but for many that isn't practical.

[@manderson5397]

what? Practical? loll we've been doing ext-waterproofing for 40+ yrs, almost all jobs cost LESS than installing a fraudulent interior system

[@manderson5397]

you n some others may not like my tone but OPEN your eyes kzbin.infoty4rFRLG3PU he also says he had another area he had to dig down to footing because that area had more disintegrated blocks... so YOU say leave all this open, allow rodents, termites, water to continue to enter, allow blocks to get worse eh? lol

[@Clevey605]

​@@manderson5397 Any advice on who I should get ahold of to give me an estimate for exterior waterproofing? We had Blackburn here a couple days ago, but they want $13k for their cheapest interior system. I'd prefer to add drain tile around the exterior, but I don't know who does that kind of work around here. I'm in SW Minnesota in the Sioux Falls, SD area.

[@Clevey605]

​@@manderson5397if I do decide to add an interior system I'll probably rent a concrete saw and just do it myself before I spend that kind of money on something that I feel I can do myself...

[@manderson5397]

@@Clevey605 block walls? do you actually need it done all the way around or you just leak in 2 or 3 diff areas? i don't know anyone in MN sorry but there is a good home inspector named Jeff Jones (hope he doesn't mind lol) i think he is in Waseca MN, he is well aware of the interior system cons n so on, he might know someone good, you could google him and contact, what would it hurt... right. Blackburn = water guard LOL... and $13K pfft. These INT system co's dig about 1 ft deep, we hand dig 5 to 8 deep most leaky basements, much more labor $$, much more costs for materials pea stone, hauling all the soil away etc. Example - when it's necessary to waterproof (EXT) an entire wall and let's say that wall is 30 ft long by 6 ft deep = 180 sq ft, the INT system chumpers would need to dig their lil con trench 180 ft long x 1 deep to equal what we do in 1 day....and the COST? lolol 30 x 6 deep is about 5,300 -- 5,800 (depends on few things) versus that $13,000 and quite a few other INT Cos want quite a bit more $$ than 13K. NOTE--- our trenches are quite a bit WIDER, so we're doing more for 30 ft x 6 deep than weasels do all the way around most basements and we STOP the water, they allow it in lolool

[@quidambrujah]

All these ‘fix it at the source’ answers don’t address the huge cost and lack of practicality in some areas. Try digging a trench around a 100 year old Chicago brick bungalow when the house on either side is about 8’ away and half of that is the neighbor’s. Turning your house into a boat is all well and good, if practical and you can afford the nearly 3x cost.

[@Renvaar1989]

Well said.

[@manderson5397]

LOOOLL duh!!! In Detroit, same type homes-basements here , that is plenty of room to hand dig and waterproof, we've done it 45 rs but go ahead n keep crying

[@frMan-oc9ke]

​@manderson5397 try hand digging 8ft through a shale vein like here in PA

[@manderson5397]

@@frMan-oc9ke we dug in the middle of PA, hand dug and had no problem... anywhere one might run into shtt underground then always buy--rent a trencher

[@Biker65]

​@@manderson5397Only one that's gonna be crying is you have to try to dig down eight foot thru a thru rock

[@taudimcclure5080]

I had a bid to repair a basement with this interior drainage system (the basement is small) $14,700. The walls look similar to the ones in your video. What is the best way to repair this problem?

[@furbabe]

This is a complicated issue depth experienced architectural engineer would know better than a contractor. Don’t ever think somebody made a video. Then this person is an expert.

[@abbasgates9302]

I am in the process of bying a house. I have the same problem and I am at the cross line. After watching this video, I am changing my mind and going to the right side of the path.

[@ronaldrobb7043]

call a waterproofing contractor . he obviously has no experience look up hydrostatic pressure then make a decision. you may spend alot of money on the exterior and still have water come up from the ground.

[@kenburrell3825]

First thing you always start preventing the water from coming in from the outside, french drains work fine considering, if it is installed properly, you must drill the bottom of block near floor, it helps release hydrostatic pressure, also if you live in an area with a high water 💧 table like me you have to do some xtra

[@thomastravis5288]

One of the main problems was the cinder block wall was painted. Most likely with a sealer like “drylok” or something. That traps moisture between the wall and the paint layer causing the block to deteriorate. Cinder block walls are supposed to be able to breath and release any moisture into the air.

[@kranky22]

You're not wrong about trying to correct the source but drain tile systems do also fail and this repair you point out is necessary. Drain tile is there to divert water as you say, so calling it inferior is not relevant. It's not there to prevent, it's there to address when/if water does get in (which is will eventually). Yes prevention is the best action but if you're buying a home that was neglected for years before you owned it, don't say drain tile repair is not good. I bet most of the wall damage you point out was there before the drain tile was repaired. It looks pretty darn dry in there now, so I'd say it's working pretty good.

[@Biker65]

If they would have drove weapons in that wall I bet it wouldn't have been pushed in.

[@hangngoaigiare]

What’s your solution. Build a new house?

[@VilmairCostajr]

How much does this type of work cost just for labor? Can anyone help me with this?

[@gametime5726]

They work great for floor leaks. Not really designed for wall leaks.

[@dwin5615]

What if your in a row home middle unit

[@Biker65]

Exactly. You can't always do it from the outside.

[@tonesmith909]

😮😮😮

[@aw9085]

i live in west central ohio... who do you recommend for basement work? mine gets wet when there is a decent rain.... and i would like to finish part of it eventually

[@hollyhetzler1331]

What is the alternative solution?

[@nwohiohomeinspector]

Fix the source and where - the exterior!. For context, if you had a roof leak, what/where would you fix?

[@manderson5397]

😉😉😉😉🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 good job man! @@nwohiohomeinspector

[@TruthProvider]

@@nwohiohomeinspector It may not always be the exterior... there are times when the water is from directly below the basement slab.

[@furbabe]

🎉 hey, I love your points-preventing water at the source from outside the wall. Can you please have a short episode to explain the outside water solution

[@ronaldrobb7043]

He wont be able to because he is not a waterproofing contractor just another Joe with a opinion. Every situation has a different answer. waterproofing and structural contractor for 25 yrs.

[@manderson5397]

@@ronaldrobb7043 LOL you interior system punks = crooks, mouths