Water leaking through basement floor

Water leaking through cracks in the basement or crawlspace floor

Water leaking through a crack in the floor slab is a common way for water to enter a basement or crawlspace. There are many possible causes of this kind of leak, but on a high level, water pressure on the outside of your foundation – either next to it or below it – builds. Due to the way in which water behaves, namely finding the path of the least resistance, sometimes the path water finds is into your home through a crack in the floor slab. Most commonly, this crack is actually a joint of two pieces of concrete that have dried at different rates/times, called a cold joint. While cold joints are standard in the building process, water could also be coming in through a different kind of crack in the concrete.

Regardless if the water is coming through a cold joint or an actual crack in the floor, the water pressure could be building on the outside for a variety of reasons. There could be a high water table, or a perched water table, or there could be water flow ramifications from excavating virgin soil for the home’s basement or crawlspace. This last possibility is called the clay bowl effect.
There could also be grading problems in the surface above: either the yard, or changes to the driveway or patio that enable water to flow towards the home instead of away from the home. There are several other possible causes of water leaking through a crack in the floor slab.
It can be very difficult to determine the exact cause(s) of water leaking through a crack in the floor. Also, there’s always a chance of other causes developing in the future, that’s why it’s important to find a waterproofing solution that addresses the five most common ways water can make its way into a basement or crawlspace. That’s why you should reach out to BDry® and have them provide that solution for you.