My last post covered how I dealt with the water coming in from the cracks and my plan for keeping the water from the house to start with, but even with these efforts my fear is that one day the water will find a way in.   If that is the case how to we keep it from doing any damage.

There are at least two main options for doing this.  The first is to install drain tile around the perimeter of the inside of the concrete wall.   In my area this is running about 42.00 per foot to install.   This would allow the water a place to go and then be pumped out of the house using a sump pump.   To to this access has to be gained to all the exterior walls and everything has to be removed.  The amount of cost and work seemed to make this option a little two onerous.

The second option is to rebuild in a way that allows the water to come in and flow to the drain naturally with out interfering with the furnishings.  This is the path I chose because I could do the majority of the work my self and to me feels like the safest bet in this aged house.

The main part of this plan is a product called DriCore Sub-flooring .   This product is a subfloor made up of a plastic sub-straight with built in feet that is then attached to a tongue and grooved subfloor decking material.  Installing this in the basement creates  a subfloor with a space between the concrete and the decking that allows water to flow under the floor to the drain.   The plastic sub-straight prevents mold and water penetration to the flooring.  DriCore supports up to 4000# per square foot so that wall can be built on top of the subfloor to allow clear passage of water.

I built my exterior walls on top of the DriCore with a 1″ gap between the studs and the concrete.   This keeps the studs from coming in contact with any water that may weep in through the walls.   I also found a Closed Cell Spray Foam from GreenIt Foam that is mold resistant, water proof and has an R7 insulating factor for a 1″ coverage of material.   My plan is to spay the Green Foam on all exterior walls between the concrete and the studs again creating a water tight barrier.

To recap, the first line of defense will be to do out side landscaping that will keep water away from the house.   If water still gets to the house and weeps through the walls the water tight barrier of the spray foam and then DriCore sub-flooring should allow the water to travel down the wall and under the floor to the drain without causing any damage to the finishes or allowing mold to grow.

I will keep you informed of my progress.  Here’s hoping this works!