Leak in HT room

[Doug917]

This bites! I was downstairs watching a movie (thank goodness I was down there at the time) and heard a dripping. It was raining and hailing pretty bad here in Kansas City and was a sideways rain. I had water leaking in from the back edge of the front porch's cement slab. It scared the heck out of me as the main 2 drips were only inches from my 2 SVS subs. I'm just happy I was down there, as there are times I may not enter the room for a week or two at a time. Fortunately I was able to move the subs and wipe off the DVD's right after they got wet (I have a shelf with about 500 DVDs built into the wall right under where the drips were). Everything is safe now, but I need to recaulk where the slab meets the side of the house and I'm even going to put something above the suspended ceiling in case it ever gets by the caulk it will be channeled into a container or something. Why do these things always happen on a Sunday night when you are trying to relax and prepare for another week at the job?

 

[GeorgeM]

Doug, I think this happened because you live in K.C.. The wrath of one of those 'all-knowing' televangelists was bestowed upon you when they discovered that you were living with (and enjoying) all of that materialistic audio/video gear. In turn, they sent to you a warning (via that liquid refreshment that seeped through your door) that the worst is yet to come . I'd suggest that you acquire two-of-everything in preparation for the arrival of Noah's ark which is probably en-route to your house now!

When I was living in an apartment several years ago I had about 300 record albums vertically stacked on the floor of a closet. My neighbor in the apartment above had their washer/dryer located directly over the closet. One day (when I was not home) their washer overflowed (big time!) and guess what...
What a hell of a mess that was....

You might also want to consider insurance. I had to get flood insurance for my living room when the plasma television started leaking .

Have a good day (minus the water) ,

-GeorgeM

 

[philh]

Clean out the gap between the slab and house and put in a backer rod (round foam rod) and fill the gap with self leveling caulk. If slab is slopped find a company that does concrete jacking.

 

[Doug917]

GeorgeM,

Your right! I better start constructing redundant hot-site at the other end of the house. Or better yet, buy another house and set it up there . In all seriousness this is the first time this has happened in the 5 years I have lived in this house and it only occured because the hail we had was blowing sideways and happened to come to rest at the seam at fault.


Philh,

I believe the porch was actually poured as part of the basement wall as the cement actually protrudes inside the structure. I went outside last night and could see where the caulk was pulling away from the wood siding. I think if I recaulk and seal it I will have no further problems. However, to make sure I have no further problems, I am going to run a channel to catch and redirect water below the part of the slab the protrudes into my home and above the suspended ceiling. and tube it to a safe location just in case. I just don't want to chance it and don't want to have to rely on insurance to bail me out.

 

[brian32672]

Glad you caught it Doug.
This is something I worry about, for the house that is being built.
As all equipment will be in the basement.
Obviously, I will take as many precautions as possible.
And probably go around the outside of the house with a water hose, prior to setting everything up (and prior to installing drywall).

 

[jaxvon]

Make sure that with your basement construction you get an oversized sump pump, good-sized edge drain, and that the area around your basement walls is properly layered with dirt, sand, and pea-stone. Also, if you can, install another edge drain only about a foot below the surface around the foundation and have it drain away from the house. Of course you'll want to make sure sealant is applied to your basement walls and that all of the drain spouts coming off of your roof are directed at least 3ft away from the house (if not more).

 

[Sheep]

call Mike holmes, get those dirty contractors!!!

SheepStar

 

[Tsunamii]

When you have the foundation in make sure it is treated on the exterior for waterproofing with something like Bituthene. Where negative side waterproofing is making strides you will have the exterior exposed and thus a great opertunirty to waterproof the concrete before it seaps in.
Though I my self am in IT I used to work for a large chemical co that sold this stuff. I worked with alot of the sales guys and talked to them about waterproofing and it always came back to treating the exterior if possible then start to look at french dykes and the likes after.

Good luck mate..

 

[Buckle-meister]

Look on the bright side Doug917; you may lose your theatre, but at least you'll have your very own swimming pool!

Regards