How to Repair a Leak Between the Basement, Floor & a Cement Block Wall

Basements can develop cracks from structure settling that will allow water to seep in.

Basement walls that run along the outside border up against the ground can sometimes develop moisture issues due to water drainage in the soil. You can seal the walls with special sealants to keep water from seeping through the walls, but if the house settles, cracks can still form that will allow water in. One possible location for leaks is in a crack that opens up between the basement floor and the cement block wall. Follow a few simple steps to stop these leaks.

Things You'll Need

• Waterproof caulk
• Concrete crack repair kit
• Hammer

Instructions

1. Squirt a bead of waterproof caulk along the crack if it is just a small hairline crack up to a width of 1/4 inch. Take the bead past the crack on either side by several inches. Smear your finger along the bead to press it to the wall and floor. It should dry in a few hours.

2. Obtain a concrete crack repair kit for larger cracks. Remove loose debris from the crack by scrubbing it with a brush and water. Let the surface dry.

3. Open the kit and get out the sealant ports. These are small plastic tubes that the sealant is squirted into. They are placed in the crack at a depth of 8 to 12 inches. Tap them into the crack.

4. Seal over the crack and around the ports with the epoxy that comes with the kit. This keeps the sealant that is squirted into the ports from leaking back out of the crack, and forces it to make its way deeper into the crack. Let the epoxy dry for a few hours.

5. Squirt the sealant into the ports, starting on one end of the crack. Squeeze in sealant until it comes out of the port next to it. Put the cap on the port and move on to the next. Continue until you get to the last port. Squeeze into this one until the sealant starts coming out around the tube. Let it dry for a couple of days, and then tap the ports with a hammer to remove them.

6. Fill in the holes that the ports left, using sealant, and smooth it out. Let the sealant dry. Your repair is now complete.

References

• Concrete Network: Crack Injection
• Concrete Network: Basic Steps in the Injection Process