Struggling to fix a leaking crack in your basement with hydraulic cement despite following the directions – any DIY advice?
Asked by Charles Lewis 
8 months ago
Last Updated: April 23, 2024
So, I tried using hydraulic cement to fix a crack in my basement, but unfortunately, it’s still leaking. I even put on another layer of cement, but no luck. I really can’t afford to hire a contractor, so I have to figure out how to solve this on my own.
Where is the leak coming from?
Do you know why there’s water here? Is it because of the slope or the rain? Maybe a pipe is leaking?
Leaks are not typically resolved from the interior.
Need to address drainage issues outside. Redirect downspouts at least 3 feet from the wall, raise the soil level to promote water runoff away from the wall, and consider adding a concrete apron around the house to minimize water infiltration near the wall.
Preventing leaks from the inside can be challenging. Redirect any downspouts away from the house.
Have you checked if there are functional and debris-free gutters installed?
Yup, we have gutters. After reading everyone’s comments, I went outside and saw a leak in the corner of the gutter, where the foundation is also leaking. I’ll use a tall ladder to fix that. Planning to purchase longer downspouts to redirect water away from the house. Not sure if they’re clean. I only have one tree in my yard, but I’ll check.
I recently fixed up a house that had years of water seepage problems. If the gutters don’t help, the next step might be installing a French drain on that side of the house.
Thank you, Sullivan.
How much water did you end up getting in the basement with all the rain we’ve been having lately, especially in the Northeast? A lot of people have been dealing with water problems.
Dealing with hydrostatic pressure is tough from the inside. I attempted to use hydraulic cement on some cracks, but it only slowed down the leak rather than completely stopping it.
We ended up installing drains, and now we don’t have any more water issues. If it’s only been happening over the last two weeks, I wouldn’t worry too much.
Yep, , that’s a good observation. Last year, a massive storm caused flooding in my side yard, reaching the foundation. The previous owner claimed it had never flooded before. The culprit turned out to be an old drain with 3/4 blockage. We spent the entire weekend digging a new drain, and this week the foundation remained dry even after heavy rain. Perhaps there are more drainage issues to address.
‘s aunt faced a similar issue and solved it by excavating the soil near the leak, sealing the cement with a plastic barrier, installing a drain, and then backfilling.
By ‘plastic barrier’ do you mean a plastic sheet?
No, it happens whenever there’s a good rain. It accumulates in an area of about 30 square feet. It’s roughly half an inch deep. I’m located around 40 miles north of Chicago.
Thanks. I’ve noticed everyone suggesting that I address the issue externally. I’ll have to figure out my options. I’m planning to address a gutter problem and I applied some cement caulk around the area between the concrete slab that extends to the house. I can’t afford any major excavation, so hopefully these steps will help
No. Some sort of black film. It was on rolls
Oh, I totally get it now. It does seem more like rubber than plastic. Thanks a bunch.
Simply ensure the gutter directs water away from the house and that should make a difference, unless there is extensive water accumulation, but if that doesn’t resolve the issue you may need a vapor barrier on the outside
Reach out to waterproofing companies for their professional opinions on the necessary repairs. They often provide complimentary estimates. Once you determine the best course of action, you can decide whether to attempt the repairs yourself or save up for professional assistance.
Thanks for the great advice!
Yes, , go ahead and do that.
Basement waterproofing companies, like , might pressure you to buy everything in their catalog and steer you towards interior systems, which are not truly waterproofing – just water management.
Rather than attempting to prevent the water from entering, I’d opt to manage it. Create a hole in the desired location and direct the water towards a drain or sump.
Have you considered giving it a try with flex seal?
Molina is precious.
Might as well give it a try! 😄
You’ve got to excavate and expose the foundation to carry out repairs.
If you don’t know what you’re doing, you could end up paying more than hiring a contractor.
Repairing from the inside is rarely successful. In my experience, successful repairs involve digging from the outside, patching the outer wall, and sealing it with tar from the exterior.
Simply states the truth.
There isn’t sufficient information available to provide a useful repair suggestion at the moment.
Try drilling a hole into the ground as deep as you can and remove as much dirt as possible. After that, use a can of spray foam by inserting the nozzle and filling it up, keeping most of the foam inside.
It’s not very likely that interior water repairs will work. By the way, do you have gutters around your house? Also, is the ground sloping away from your home or towards it?
If the issue is on the outside or below the slab, you’ll have to address the water leakage externally first for a lasting solution
Simply put, preventing water intrusion requires redirecting the inflow of water.
Hey, consider adding a drainage pipe all around the house
Also recommends trenching a hole and burying your gutters underground to divert water away from your house completely.
I’m on the same page as . Try digging around the foundation and filling it with drainage tile or another appropriate material. Make sure to research water management methods specific to your area.
We’ve actually taken the same approach in all the places we’ve lived.
Head outdoors and begin excavating the location of the leak, digging all the way down to the foundation to address it directly
Make sure the exterior is waterproof and the interior is spotless using a wire brush and Efflorescence remover
Ensure that it’s sealed on the exterior.
I appreciate the helpful comments that suggest a solution without knowing all the details of the situation. It’s important to gather more information before trying to fix the problem. Identify the cause first and then take action, because simply patching it up won’t solve the issue.
Make sure the outer wall is waterproofed.
No content
Excavate the area and apply tar from the outer surface.
Yup, that’s exactly what we did. It made a big difference! We even installed a French drain before backfilling the soil.
French drains are really helpful.
The water will always find its way in despite the hydraulic cement.
John Ryan curious about what’s amusing?
I’m going to take over this response to ask a question. I had my property graded, and the basement was dry until the recent heavy rain. If there’s standing water about 30 feet from the foundation, could it seep into the basement? I didn’t think it would, but with the recent wet weather, I’m not so sure. The person had to come back three times to fix this low spot, and my topography is challenging to work with.
Groundwater seems like the problem to me. The soil around my house is clay, so water doesn’t flow through it easily, but we have many underground springs. I can’t waterproof from the outside due to my glazed Terra cotta foundation. Anything that sticks to it would damage it, and there’s no way to drain without a pump. I was suggesting to address the issue at a basic level first, and it seems you have. My assumption is John Ryan waterproofs homes professionally and believes it’s the only solution.
Thanks for the advice. I noticed some issues with my gutters while outside today that I need to address. Hopefully, this will improve the situation.
Leaking gutters. Fortunately, she was able to fix it herself without needing professional help or installing a sump pump.
+1. I would recommend addressing the gutters and exterior grading initially. This should have a positive impact, although it may not solve all issues depending on the layout of your house relative to the surrounding land.
LOL 😂💯 How could a leaky gutter result in a leaky basement? Here’s a better explanation – a tree root. And if there were no gutters and a hip roof, that could also contribute to a basement leak.
I’ve dealt with gutter issues twice, leading to a lot of water in my basement. The key is to redirect water away from the house first. If there’s no water seeping into the foundation walls, you’ve eliminated most causes of basement moisture and leaks, aside from groundwater and springs.
Hey, look up this info! I think without gutters, you’d need a steeper slope away from your house so the water doesn’t pool.
Hey , here’s what you asked for
Hey , our clogged gutters and grading caused our basement to get wet in the first year of living in this house…not sure why you don’t think that’s a problem? After unclogging and adding a bit more grade a few feet out, it has made a huge difference. It’s worth a shot.
Check for any significant holes or cracks in the exterior foundation and ensure that the grading slopes away from the foundation. Also, ensure that downspouts lead several feet away from the foundation.
Usually, the best approach is to address these problems from the exterior. This will likely involve a significant amount of digging based on the situation
Yeah, it goes all the way down, and I’d have to tear up part of my driveway. There’s a concrete slab all around that side of the house. Impossible for me to afford that. Hopefully, I’ll find a solution.
When it comes to repairing foundation leaks, addressing them from the exterior is essential. Otherwise, simply attempting to patch them up will be ineffective.
Definitely an easy solution! Just dig, patch the crack, apply a membrane, and make sure the water is directed away from the property.
It looks like a lot of people forget to consider where their downspouts lead or the water table.
The first time I met my wife, she gave me a tour of her house. When we reached the master bedroom and I glanced out the window, I immediately thought, ‘Those gutters need cleaning.’
Haha I spent $12k on leaf guard gutters. When I purchased the house, they were filled with 3-foot trees growing in them.
Oh yeah, I have the same ones! They’re great. I earn about 1k each fall by clearing out my neighbors’ gutters using a 10-foot PVC downspout with a 90-degree elbow attached to my Stihl. It’s the easiest money I’ve ever made.
I recently had a crack repaired in the basement while water was flowing through it – no need for digging, but I did fill in a low spot where water had occasionally pooled near the foundation. I’m not exactly sure where to purchase the product, but I think it comes in a kit that includes plastic nozzles placed over the crack at three-inch intervals and sealed with a fast-setting two-part epoxy sealant. You then inject a two-part expanding foam through the lowest nozzle, cap it, and repeat the process with the remaining nozzles. The expanding foam pushes through the crack and hardens on the outside. A local concrete contractor fixed three cracks for $600 five years ago, and I haven’t had any leaks since then. He’s experienced and has had no callbacks. You might be able to find the product on eBay or elsewhere.
This is the Simpson’s CrackPak kit. It works wonders on concrete foundations. Results may vary with CMU foundations.
I spotted that product at Menards today. I might have to remove the hydraulic cement patch I applied to open up the crack again, but I can do it if I choose to. Thanks
That lid is for your septic tank. Looks like it’s time to empty your waste tank.
Mentions that septic tanks are positioned away from the house and underground.
Usually agrees, but that fracture really resembles a square cover and I’ve encountered it previously.
The septic tank would never be located in the basement. The lid is always outside, without any exceptions
That’s the corner down in the basement. I’ve got the flashlight pointed at it
You might have to excavate around the perimeter and install a barrier separating the ground from the concrete before applying a layer of tar on top.
Because you didn’t address the root issue on the exterior of that wall. That’s why it’s seeping in at that corner of the building. Could it be due to clogged gutters, improper drainage towards the foundation, or the absence of gutters altogether? If there are gutters in place and they are angled away correctly, perhaps it’s the slope of the land at that corner that’s either sloping towards the foundation, flat, or sloping away. The right solution would be to excavate the exterior foundation wall and seal it. Mine had a similar issue, but I opted for a different approach. I resolved any gutter problems, elevated the ground at that corner to redirect water away from the foundation, and created a swale for proper drainage. Another option is to install a french drain; although, they have limitations when the land slopes towards the foundation during heavy rain.
Sure thing, Mark! Thanks for letting me know. I’ll take care of the gutters. The issue is that the cement slab from the driveway stretches to the house and around the corner, so I can’t have the driveway dug up and replaced.
Is the water flowing towards or away from the corner where is standing? The person who poured it should have sloped it slightly away from the house.
The outside corner of the house is pretty level. Water doesn’t collect there.
I tried out this “Dap advanced polymer concrete sealant advanced hybrid technology” and it did a great job filling in the half inch gap between the house and the concrete slab. I did that today and I plan on getting longer gutter spouts tomorrow.
Sure, here is the rephrased text in a conversational tone:
“Just wanted to remind you that the meeting with is scheduled for tomorrow at 10 AM. ‘t forget to prepare your notes and any questions you may have.”
Maybe there’s a crack in the concrete around that corner. Just take a look around the area and think like water – how would you get in?
It appears to be stucco failing on the wall. I’m not too sure about using that caulking for the concrete cracks. Is that the right material?
That should do the trick for now. Just keep in mind that it might not be a permanent solution. I do like the product, but over time, it tends to lose its grip and shrink.
Have you considered using a level to check if water is flowing back towards the house on the driveway?
If that’s the case, you don’t necessarily need to replace the entire driveway. You could just replace a section of it, maybe three to 4 feet out, with the right slope.
Hey, I haven’t tried that yet, but I’m planning to use a level tomorrow morning and test it out. This is all new to me!
I opted to use this product called “Dap advanced polymer concrete sealant with advanced hybrid technology” and it was really effective in filling the half-inch gap between the house and the concrete slab. It came in a tube that was easy to work with and self-leveling
There’s a leak in the gutter corner above that spot, so I’ll need to seal it. I wish I could afford new gutters right now, but it’s just not feasible at the moment unfortunately
Perhaps so. That’s just the nature of owning a home. There always seems to be something stressful and challenging that needs fixing, and you have to figure it out, whether on your own or with help. No one wants you to bear the burden of repairs alone. It’s your home. We may not know the exact stress you’re feeling, but we all have our own. And we find ways to overcome them. I’m confident you’ll find a solution and fix it properly! Despite the stress that comes with homeownership, think about all the positives. Many things are done right and safely behind the scenes, without you even realizing. Our homes provide us with comfort and security.
I strongly suspect that the leaking gutter is the issue. It’s not doing any favors.
That seems fine but I would definitely fill in the crack/hole to make it level. You could either use more of the product or fill it with mortar. It might not solve everything, but water was definitely seeping into the ground through that crack.
Yep, I’m planning on purchasing more
Placed something in a container
You should consider getting a sump pump. Fixing basement leaks is a job for experts and can be quite costly. Unless you’re up for digging outside to properly address the leak.
I have no idea how to install a sump pump. There doesn’t seem to be a suitable spot for one, but I will research it. The cement driveway extends all the way to the house and around the corner, so I might have to remove part of it to install from the outside.
Do you think a concrete saw would be necessary?
Ideally, the exterior perimeter should be waterproofed with a drain along the foundation – but that’s not feasible in my case. I’ve managed to address most of my leaks (still in progress) by addressing the issues mentioned above.
Hahaha I had the same thought! 😂
I’m facing the same issue, but I’m planning to install a French drain in May.
As a licensed engineer, I can tell you that one of the biggest misconceptions is that a basement can be made waterproof from the inside.
Relies on how you interpret it. An interior drainage system can collect water after it passes through the foundation wall or as it seeps up from hydrostatic pressure. It can also stop water from reaching the basement floor.
That’s focusing on basement water management, not basement waterproofing.
Yes, it does handle the water, I agree with that. However, it waterproofs everything from the foundation walls and floor inward, which is crucial to keeping things dry.
What are the drawbacks of managing water with interior drain tile?
The benefit is likely saving at least half the cost, if not more.
It’s not just about waterproofing, and it shouldn’t be marketed as such. Water is still seeping through the masonry, and the basement remains damp. An interior system only handles water. Additionally, if it’s not done well with cheap ledge systems, or the drain tile is too shallow, it’s ineffective.
Fixing it from the inside won’t work in this case.
This isn’t something you can do yourself. The area needs to be excavated from the outside, and drainage, along with a sump pump, may need to be installed.
Are your gutters positioned away from the foundation of your house? Have you noticed any water pooling near your foundation?
You assume she may or may not have gutters. There could be many reasons without more information.
There’s no water pooling in that area, but the gutter above it is leaking. I will seal that leak next. I do need new gutters, but it’s not within my budget at the moment.
Install a drainage pipe around the foundation
Have you widened the hole or crack enough for it to fit a ball or a small fist full of HYD cement? That product is not meant to be used as a top coat, for obvious reasons you should apply it as a plug.
The issue needs to be tackled from the exterior. Are there any low areas around that section of the house? If yes, raise the soil and create a slope away from the house… or do the same with concrete. This is the most cost-effective solution to consider.
Quick Crete
Kohles, that’s what I went with. I added another layer when it kept leaking even after the initial patch. It’s still leaking, so I gathered some suggestions from folks in this group on exterior solutions. I might also apply more hydraulic cement, like quick crete, on top.
I appreciate everyone’s input. Your advice and suggestions have been super useful
Make sure there’s a French drain surrounding the foundation with the right drainage and slope
Perform a basic assessment of your outside drainage. Are your gutters clear and working properly? Are your downspouts far enough from the house and is the area sloped away from the house? Is there at least 10 feet of properly sloped ground around the perimeter? Do you notice any standing water near your home during rainfall? If so, a French drain could be the solution. There are many factors to consider – you need to identify the source of the water first, then proceed accordingly.
Bam! I don’t know why it took me so long to come across your comment, this stuff is like magic. I highly recommend it
I can confirm it works really well. I used it recently and made sure to check for leaks. I then framed the wall where there was a leak and kept the Sheetrock up off the ground about 3/4 inch just in case, but there were still no signs of water
Is your sump pump okay? Have you checked if it’s functioning properly?
Nope, no sump pump.
Hey, if you relieve the water around the foundation, there are many ways to do it. But for now, I think you’re doing well with the cement. Just continue doing that until you figure out what to do next. You can also put a fan to help dry that area. Hopefully, it stops soon.
One effective solution for fixing a basement leak caused by hydrostatic pressure involves excavating the wall, applying waterproofing from the exterior, and setting up a french drain to redirect water away from the structure. It is possible to tackle this project independently, although it may be wise to enlist the help of a professional with the right equipment and educate yourself on trench reinforcement.
Do you know where the water is coming from? We may need to dig around the wall.