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Basement leaking, need help ASAP in Kitchener!

23994

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We bought a duplex in Kitchener in June and tenant reported it had water in the basement after the heavy rain recently...

Does anyone know any expert in this area as we called a company in and was told there may be sewer drain issue, we found a plumber in and was told it does not look like the water pipe issue, but he can do a camera examination and the cost will be ~$600.00

What should we do? the tenant is very upset now...

Any recommendation will be appreciated!

Sue
 

kfort

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Clean your gutters and make sure they are a minimum of 10' away from the house at discharge. Address the slope around the house if required. Sewer cam inspection is useful but $600 is steep, I pay $280 and I get the sd card with the video.
 

James Benson

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Get your pipes and weeping tiles inspected. Even if $600 is steep it's still cheaper than one month vacant. Get a few quotes as the prices can vary greatly. As mentioned above, gutters are very important. Also, check the window wells and make sure they are not clogged. Make sure the ground around the house slopes away from the foundation (3" over 6' is good). Make sure no plants around the house have mounds around them that slope towards the house. If the house is old it's possible that there is no backwater valve on the sewer system which is worth checking while you have the camera there. Pray it's not your weeping tile, but be prepared for the possibility of digging up the side of the house to fix it.
 

23994

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Thanks guys! the house is +100 years old but the previous owner has done the foundation sealing for the whole house, so it is very suspicious to have the leaking now...the funny thing is the sewer guy told me he does not think it is the pipe issue, instead he thinks it is the ground leaking.

I am having issue to find the leaking fix companies in Kitchener, can anyone refer some companies to me ASAP?

Appreciated!
 

James Benson

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If it's coming up from under the slab you may need a sump pump. In that case it would be the water table rising and insufficient drainage under the slab, which is typical of old houses. This usually happens in the spring when the snow melts though, odd to be happening at the end of summer.
 
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23994

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thanks James, we have sump pump in the house and it is working properly, that's why it is very strange for us now, we have no clue why and how it happened...

Frustration!!!
 

kfort

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If your sump is working, and it's not sewer backup, it's seepage. Window wells, foundation cracks, brutal drainage, gutters

Even one plugged corner can easily lead to a minor puddle in the basement with an inch or so of rain.
 

kfort

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Check where your sump discharges... If it's in a bad spot you may be pumping sump water out near a crack or window or something
 
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James Benson

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Minimum code says you can discharge 8" from the house, but this can cause the water to simply go right back in the house. Ensure it is discharging at least 6' away.
 

David8043

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I have a 4 plex in Edmonton. For 25 years or so the basements were 100% dry all the time. Then water seeped in at the joint between the wall and the floor after a very heavy rain. Over a few years, the leaking steadily got worse. I tried all the easy fixes first like extending the gutter discharges far away. The leaking continued to worsen. I installed a sump pump and did serious regrading. For example, I had a mudjacker reslope the sidewalks alongside the building so they sloped slightly away, instead of slightly toward the building. Water was seeping in after every rainfall even a moderate one. The seepage always came AFTER the rain - as much as 1 day after the rain ended. What finally cured the problem permanently at this building was an inside weeping tile system. (Google it to find out about it) It was not cheap - $8000, but it solved the problem. (It was installed about 5 years ago - long enough to know that the problem is properly fixed)
 
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James Benson

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An exterior weeping tile system will work better than an interior weeping tile system and you do not need both. If you do not have exterior weeping tiles and the building is surrounded with concrete then you will need an interior system.

Water will always find the path of least resistance, so it's important that you make that path something other than a small crack in the foundation or the joint between the slab and the wall.

Keep the weeping tiles clean and ensure they have not collapsed.

Unfortunately there's usually no cheap solution to leaky basements, try as you may. All the little things are important, but the most expensive thing is usually (not always) the problem, and that's the weeping tiles. Typically it's in the range of $10k to fix. But you still need to do all the little things anyways, so it's best to start there (gutters, window wells, grading, ext) and if the problem persists then you should call in a foundation expert to assess the situation. You may need to do polyurethane injection into the cracks in the foundation (vertical cracks), or epoxy resin if it's structural (horizontal cracks)
 

dplummer

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Try calling a water damage restoration company that has a thermal imaging camera & moisture meter. They may be able to help in locating the entry of the water that is penetrating the building envelope.
 

5har0n

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In Edmonton, how often should gutters be cleaned and when is the best timing? One of my houses has two evergreens which are taller than the house. One is near the property line, but on my neighbour's yard. The other is on my front yard but a good distance from the house.
 

Tina Myrvang

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We clean our gutters every couple of months, year round.
If your gutters aren't draining properly it could cause all kinds of issues. Flooding and leaking.
AND I live in BC where it rains a little bit......
 

Wilfred Harris

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Hello, There are many professionals who provide winterizing service which include cleaning pipes, etc. I think you should check online for the best service. Last spring when my aunt was moved to her new house with her son, she hired professional movers in nyc who provided him moving and winterizing service. According to her, they were professionally trained and their way of working was quality driven.
 
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