Water In The Way Of Waterproofing The Foundation

Q:

We dug out the foundation of the house to re-waterproof it but we have hit a water table that is about 4 to 6 inches deep, with this water in the way we can't finish the waterproofing. What should we do?

A:

Well you basically have no choice you have to remove the water or you won't be able to properly finish the waterproofing on your foundation. The most important part of your foundation that needs to be properly waterproofed is the bottom 4 feet of it. That 4 to 6 inches is important and will almost certainly allow water to enter the home if not waterproofed.

Here are your options to remove the water;

1. Pump it out. Rent yourself an electric or gas powered "trash" pump. These pumps are made to suck up not only water but dirt and mud. Since you say that you think its like a water table then don't be surprised if any water you pump out comes back almost immediately. You might have to run the pumps for hours or even a day or two before the hole is dry enough for you to do the waterproofing. Even if the pump removes the water fairly quickly you should be leaving the pump running while you are working. The best way to get the water out is to dig a hole that is deeper then the foundation and footings, this will allow the water to run down into the pump location removing even the last bit of water.
2. Dig a drain line. Since you already have the equipment onsite (because you dug out the foundation) then you should dig yourself a drain line. Either dig the drain line to a ditch or a pond or a lower section of lawn to allow the water to naturally drain away so that you can properly waterproof. Even if you don't have anywhere that is lower you can dig a drain line to a location where you dig a deeper pit. This will allow the water to naturally drain away and can even be used as a pump out location.
3. Since you have a lot of water around the outside of the building then you must not have a proper weeping system that is connected to a sump pump. You should install weepers and stone around the outside of the building and install well tiles with a sump pump connected to it. This will pump out the water and will also keep the foundation dry going into the future.

I can't say enough how important it is to get every inch of your foundation waterproofed, get the water out and keep it out until the job is completed.

Rob Abbott

Village Builders Inc