Foundation Stabilization and Repair/Crumbling concrete in well room

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Expert: Jim Hise - 4/6/2008


Question
I live in Minneapolis and have a 1950's house that has an old well room in the basement. Anytime it rains, I get water dripping through the top concrete slab. It is in very bad shape - crumbled concrete and bent rebar. I am hesitant to even go into the room. I have a high water table and not the best gutters. How can I stop the leaking and repair the damaged concrete? I have even thought of filling in the room with sand/dirt.

Answer
Tom,
   I've seen many little rooms like this and most all of them serve no purpose. They almost always have structural faults and are failing in some way. If it's not crumbling concrete or cracked bowed walls it's water infiltration. These rooms are usually not worth the cost of anchors, carbon fiber, concrete restoration or waterproofing.
   We've always removed the access doorway and any windows by blocking them up with cement block. We then installed temporary reinforcing to hold the block in place from the outside of the room. We then made a hole through the roof and filled the room completely with LSM, or low strength mortar. This material is very flowable and will seek out and fill any voids. A cement company will know what you need if you tell them the application. After a few days the LSM will dry out and the material will be solid. Give them accurate dimensions for a price quote.
Be sure the water in the mix can drain out of the room!
   Filling with sand is the next best option but it may be hard to fill in any voids.
              Best of luck, jim

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Jim Hise

Expertise

I am the owner of EXPERT BASEMENT REPAIR in Cleveland, Ohio. see WWW.EXPERTBASEMENTREPAIR.COM for more helpful links, pricing and information on repair work and products I can identify the reasons for movement or cracking in home foundations, basements and walls. I am familiar with most waterproofing and water control methods. I am familiar with and have installed Ramjack, Dixie MacLean, and A.B.Chance™ helical and push pier systems, including tiebacks, steel beams, and rod and grout repair and also several carbon fiber stabilization products. I am currently certified to train Fortress carbon fiber installation and perform carbon repair in the greater Cleveland and Northeast Ohio region. I have been involved with all aspects slope stabilization for over 10 years. Please remember to tell me what city you live in to help me answer your question up front!

Experience

17 years of structural foundation fault identification and most repair and stabilization methods. I introduced Fortress carbon fiber to this region of Ohio. I have always been on site and involved in order to monitor each project I am responsible for. I have seen high pressure sales tactics used on homeowners over the years to buy on the very first contact. The most dominant ads on this site are good examples. Be very careful when having these companies in your home.

Publications
Waterproofing magazine issue #2

Education/Credentials
Associates degree...and the school of hard knocks! Formerly certified by A.B.Chance company from 1993-2005. I have a construction and home improvement background for almost 35 years. I bought, restored and resold distressed property. I worked with 4 different foundation repair companies and am familiar with most methods. I also worked for a waterproofing company for several years. I teach ongoing education classes for home inspectors, adult education and Realtors in foundation fault identification and repair.

Past/Present Clients
Hundreds of residential, commercial and some industrial.

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