I have a basement wall that has been leaking for years. It is built out of poured concrete floor and cinderblock walls. It is underground about six feet in depth. Outside it has a concrete skirting 8-12 feet around three sides. We have tried using KILZ on the inside wall several times. I feel that it will have to be resealed from the outside. Looking for options and opinions. The size of the basement is 60 feet wide and 120 feet long.
Martin A. ~ El Paso, Texas
The first thing that comes to mind is, wow that is a huge basement! I like the fact that you have concrete skirting around three sides, but the same fact also raises further concerns, Does the skirting drain away from the basement? Is it leaking from the one side that is not skirted? Are there any sub drains that you are aware of behind the wall that could be cleaned out? Is it leaking from a crack? Is it leaking from the wall to floor joint? Is it just seeping through the block wall? Depending on the nature of the leak there are products that target specific types of leaks. You can seal the wall on the outside but the cost is going to be 100X of that of an interior solution. I would go to exterior seal and drain solution only after I had exhausted my interior options.
