Best method for waterproofing finished basement

[canooten]

With the 14 inches of rain the Atlanta area has gotten in the first 2 weeks of July, it seems everyone is having the same problem.

I had a couple of leaks in my basement. I believe I've taken care of one....the major place I had a leak was under my basement bathroom tub. When the plumber put in the drains down there, or course he had to dig up the slab to place the drains. The problem is that he neglected to fill in one of the holes. Where he dug out for the tub drain, he left it open to the dirt, so with the huge rise in the water table, I had a direct opening and up it came.
That hole has been filled with cement.

I also had a more "normal" leak along the front wall of the house. I've had a few people come out and give estimates and am finding a split between folks who want to do their work on the inside and outside. Considering that this whole basement is finished, what's the opinion of the best way to do this? Not that I want my yard dug up, but it seems more appealing than having my carpet pulled up and the floor hammered out.

What's the best way to go?

[giddonah]

on the outside. Hydraulic pressure on inside patches force the patch out of the leak. That same pressure on outside patches force the patch into the leak, sealing it tighter. Also, if you stop the water from getting inside the room, but it's still inside the wall, then you'll eventually have another leak. You have to keep the water out of the wall. Dig a trench, patch the foundation, and fill with stones to help drain the water away from the house. I'm doing this very thing right now.

[canooten]

Well, the companies I've talked to do basically the same thing inside or out. Inside, they dig below the footings and install the drainages system and drill through the block so the walls can drain below floor level. Their line is that you can't permanantly stop water from getting into the walls, so you might as well deal with it once it gets in.

Just a line?

[giddonah]

sounds like it to me. You may not be able to premanently keep water out of your walls, but you sure can keep it out for 70 years.

[beerbelly]

Giddonah has it right. It's all about pressure. To keep leaks to a minimum, try to use pressure to your advantage. If you are plugging a hole in your basement, chip the concrete away so that the added concrete is in the shape of a cork. If the hole is large enough then add gavel to the concrete, stone in the concrete makes it stronger.