Sealing concrete leak?

[BAP]

Breaking the concrete and digging a hole for a sump pump may make the problem worse. Yes it will be a way to get the water out but it is now creating a way for more water to get in. Also, you have now lowered the point in the water table that you have to pump out. The bottom of your pit is going to be lower than your foundation drainage so you are going to have a lot of water to remove that is at a level below the working level of the foundation drains. I would consider a sump pit and pump an Absolute last resort for the amount of water that you say you are getting in. Try sealing the leak and making sure the surface outside is such that surface water can easily run away from the house.

 

[GreensvilleJay]

Here in Ontario, at least in Hamilton, the standard practice is to have the perimeter weeping tile get plumbed through a 6" hole in the brand new concrete wall and go into a sump pit. From there it gets pumped out,through ANOTHER hole in the wall to a pipe maybe 1' from the foundation.IDIOTS.
Kinda surprised 'they' don't force you to have battery backed pumps.
As others have said, need to keep the water from getting in. Locals who know the 'lay of the land' can dig and divert the underground water, just don't hire the CLOWNS that did next door, sigh, more IDIOTS....

 

[TheOldHokie]

His description sure sounds like a chronic groundwater problem. His land is sloped, downspout piped way....

In the basement of this new to us house there is a small water leak next to where I garage the Kubota. It is at the floor / wall intersection. It's not much of a leak but when we get very heavy rains it seeps in and forms a small puddle, usually not any bigger than 2'x4'.

Chronic yes but not at all unusual. Every house gets water against the below grade walls when it rains. That's why they are water proofed (parged) and drain tile installed during construction. The parging prevents that water from transitioning into the house.

He does not seem to have standing water - presumably the puddle does not grow, dries up and/or drains back once the rain stops. The drain tile around the house carries any outside water away and it appears to be doing its job.

What's not doing its job is the external waterproofing. The builder may have botched it or the structure may have shifted and compromised it. That's not at all uncommon and there is a not so small cottage industry dedicated to fixing those problems.

I would seal it from the inside and wait for the next heavy rain. If it does not leak I would call it fixed. In fact I did just that on my back basemeny wall about 10 years ago and it's been dry as a bone since. My leak developed around a water pipe going through the wall about 4" above floor level. It was not a drip or seep - I had to use 5 gallon buckets catch and bail the stream until the rain stopped.

Dan

 

[D2Cat]

Slabs are poured before the walls. They are not one piece. That's why there is a gap.
There should be drain tile around the foundation. It may have collapsed in,or have been installed wrong. The key is to get water away. Not plug the leak. Water will just find a new path. An internal patch may work for a little while...till the water finds the next path of least resistance

In this neck of the woods slabs are poured last. Footings, walls, slabs.

 

[TheOldHokie]

In this neck of the woods slabs are poured last. Footings, walls, slabs.

Exactly. Plus by code drain tile is installed below slab level and cannot ensure that surface water that percolates downward along the exterior wall will not accumulate and leak through joints higher up in the wall. The wall, wall penetrations, and all foundation joints have to be waterproofed. Modern practice is a waterproof membrane applied before the drain tile and fill goes in.

Dan

 

[xrocketengineer]

I don't know if this will solve your problem but is cheap enough and easy to apply that might be worth a try. I had to use this to seal my daughter's house walls after the 4 hurricanes that hit Florida in 2004. The builder was too cheap to prime the house before painting and the paint coat was thin that the wind driven rain would percolate through the block walls and spill inside the house at the bottom of the walls. The problem never came back after applying the Seal-Krete. The Seal-Krete looks like very watery white Elmers glue and dries transparent with a a glossy finish, particularly if applied over paint. Being so watery, it penetrates everywhere. Clean up with water has to be done right there and right then or it will be next to impossible to remove when it dries. If you can open up a small gap with a shovel between the dirt and the outside wall, spray it on the outside of the wall and let it run down, it might do the trick. Otherwise you could apply it inside.

Seal-Krete 1 Gal. Clear Original Waterproofing Concrete Sealer 100001 - The Home Depot

Seal-Krete 1 gal. Original Waterproofing Sealer protects vertical concrete, masonry, metal and vinyl surfaces against the damaging effects of moisture penetration. This water-based sealer can also be mixed with latex paint to extend the life of paint and improve paint adhesion. Provides...

www.homedepot.com

 

[The Evil Twin]

In this neck of the woods slabs are poured last. Footings, walls, slabs.

Yeah, jad it backwards. Point was, it's not a solid concrete tub.

 

[The Evil Twin]

In the basement of this new to us house there is a small water leak next to where I garage the Kubota. It is at the floor / wall intersection. It's not much of a leak but when we get very heavy rains it seeps in and forms a small puddle, usually not any bigger than 2'x4'.

Chronic yes but not at all unusual. Every house gets water against the below grade walls when it rains. That's why they are water proofed (parged) and drain tile installed during construction. The parging prevents that water from transitioning into the house.

He does not seem to have standing water - presumably the puddle does not grow, dries up and/or drains back once the rain stops. The drain tile around the house carries any outside water away and it appears to be doing its job.

What's not doing its job is the external waterproofing. The builder may have botched it or the structure may have shifted and compromised it. That's not at all uncommon and there is a not so small cottage industry dedicated to fixing those problems.

I would seal it from the inside and wait for the next heavy rain. If it does not leak I would call it fixed. In fact I did just that on my back basemeny wall about 10 years ago and it's been dry as a bone since. My leak developed around a water pipe going through the wall about 4" above floor level. It was not a drip or seep - I had to use 5 gallon buckets catch and bail the stream until the rain stopped.

Dan

Well, glad your water didn't find another way in.... yet.
But, where do you think the drain tile goes to? It's either a daylight drain or a sump. It has to. Otherwise there would be no reason for it.
The water is around/ under the OPs foundation. Since he doesn't want to dig, there is only one other option. Evacuate it.
Sure, some sort of patch may keep it out. That doesn't relieve any hydraulic pressure. However occasional it may be, it's not good for the foundation walls.