Uncontrolled seepage. I became a
seepage expert shortly after I purchased
my old house, stacking loads of boxes in
the basement and landscaping the yard.
The first heavy rains brought buckets of
water through my foundation and into
the basement. My research confirmed
what I'd already suspected: that there were
no miracle cures, and that waterproof
coatings and patches slopped onto the interior
basement walls probably would fail
miserably.
The only answer was to excavate down
to the bottom of the foundation wall. Out
came the shrubbery, grass, walks and
everything else in the way. It was like digging
the Erie Canal. It took all summer to
parge and waterproof the foundation
walls, install drain piping and gravel,