The Rain Came...

Well Ida rained here pretty much all week. What that meant for me and my dirt hole was a test of the impact that the new french drain would have on the water issues that used to exist in the basement. The news is mixed and, frankly, I figured it would be. The area where there used to be the biggest water infiltration issues is no longer a problem. By the basement window there is a spot where the rain drains from two angles of the roof to a single point and drives from there to the ground. Before the french drain was installed water came in through the foundation wall at a fast trickle (if there is such a thing). With the new french drain and some added plastic sheeting to that spot the old water issue is gone (at right: cracks in the mud where there used to be a water issue.  After 4 days of solid rain the dry cracks are still intact!). BUT in the actual space where the workshop will be there are a couple of pools of standing water and a significant amount of very sticky clay-mud. So, clearly, water is getting in.

I must admit I was a little bit dejected. I expected some water would still get in, but this much? Luckily I was able to stay constructive speaking to both my friend Shawn and then Robb stopped by later in the day. What they both told me, very politely, is that my french drain should have been dug deeper in the ground and closer to the foundation. Shawn and I came up with some good foundation vent/fan ideas that I will discuss later and Robb suggested that I re-point the foundation brick wall. With the wet floor (at left: standing water on the dirt floor) the one thing I can tackle right now is the re-pointing.

Re-pointing is a procedure whereby old brick work is reinforced with new mortar. These brick walls are close to 90 years old and so, understandably, there are a lot of missing or crumbling sections of mortar (at right: check out a section of the near century old foundation wall). In this case, there are a couple of reasons to re-point but one of them is to begin the process of water proofing the wall. I have no assumption that that will fix all of the water issues, but right now those cracks in the mortar are letting small trickles of water through and this will go a long ways towards addressing that issue. Once the bricks are re-pointed I will seal the below grade sections of the wall with a slurry. It sounds like some kind of drink that is hot pink and comes in 56, 64 or 80 ounce cups, but it’s far from it. In simple terms a slurry is used to coat all of the bricks with a thin layer of cement/sealant that will further prevent water from seeping in.  I'm looking forward to giving it a shot.

Tomorrow is re-pointing day. Wish me luck!