Assessing,

Repairing, and Building Basements

Rebuilding
Basements in Wet Locations
Wet basements are a common problem The main solution to the wet basement All primary drainage systems near
in Iowa. Our climate and soils encour- problem is to provide external drainage. the house must be located below the
age this problem. However, an Iowa Good external drainage consists of sur- finished floor height. Several options
basement can be dry if it is well-de- face measures to remove water from the are available, depending on the drain-
signed with adequate drainage. surface of the ground, and sub-surface age characteristics of the soil, the slope
measures that remove water from below of the lot, the amount of surface water
A well-insulated, dry basement can the surface. Table 1 lists several surface flowing across the lot, the seasonal high
furnish additional living space in your drainage measures. water table, and the outlets available
home at a relatively low cost. At the for the water. Table 2 (on page 2) lists
time of construction, measures to en- Subsurface drainage removes surface subsurface drainage measures.
sure an insulated, dry basement are not water that percolates into the soil dur-
expensive. A warm, dry basement will ing and after rain. It also removes water Interior Drainage Options
increase the value of your home. How- from springs, seeps, and rising water You also can provide drainage in the
ever, after the basement is constructed tables. Subsurface drainage must be interior of a basement. An accepted
and backfilled, adding insulation and adequate to keep the water level from method is to place 4 to 6 inches of
draining water are expensive. Taking rising to the top of the basement floor uniformly graded washed rock or gravel
extra care in designing and building level. Often subsurface drainage is under the basement floor and provide a
your basement will save you money needed at one or more of the following drain outlet.
and increase your satisfaction with your locations:
home. the yard, If a free outlet or a storm drain outlet is
around the house footings, and not available, you will need a sump and
This publication will discuss basement under the basement floor. a sump pump. The sump must have
drainage, floor and wall design, con-
crete mixes and curing, insulation, and
commercial basement products. Table 1. Surface Drainage Measures

The Wet Basement Solution 1. Do not locate the house in a flood plain.
External Drainage 2. Do not locate the house in a drainageway, pothole, or low area.
Basements are not designed to be 3. Ask soil and drainage experts for help in evaluating the site.
waterproof, only water resistant. When 4. Locate the house on the high part of the site.
water in the soil is only a few inches 5. Raise the house elevation so fill can be added.
above the basement floor, water can 6. Fill around the house so the soil slopes away from the house a minimum of
find openings and seep or flow into 6 inches in the first 10 feet.
the basement. Water creates such high 7. Soil around a new house will settle. After one year, refill to maintain the slope
pressures that sealing cracks will not away from the house.
prevent water from leaking into the 8. Grade the remainder of the lot with a minimum grade of 1 foot in 100 feet
house if the soil around the house is away from the house.
saturated. For example, when the soil is 9. Use diversions and ditches to carry water around the house.
saturated to 3 feet above the floor level, 10. Put roof gutters on the house.
the force of the water is more than 11. Discharge water from roof downspouts away from the house.
enough to lift the concrete floor slab. 12. Do not dump downspouts into perimeter tile drains.
Obtain professional design assistance if 13. On hillside sites, cutoff drains may be necessary to divert water away from the
you feel you will need a waterproof foundation on the high side of the house.
basement.

Pm-1561 Revised January 2010

adequate capacity to handle the heavi- Iowa Department of Public Health, and corner and provide a tile line or sump
est flow. Check with local officials, radon professionals. to remove any water that might collect.
neighbors, and contractors to deter-
mine the typical size required in your An alternative interior drainage Before pouring the concrete, place an
community. Over-excavate the sump method, especially for existing houses, impermeable water barrier over the
area, and backfill with rock or gravel is to break out a strip of basement floor rock and gravel. Polyethylene film is
to increase the flow into the sump. A 12 to 16 inches wide next to the inside low in cost and easily installed, but it
deep sump will help maintain the water foundation wall. After the concrete is is easily punctured and difficult to seal
table farther below the basement floor. removed, dig a trench deep enough at the edges. More durable products are
The extra depth gives more reserve be- so that tile can be laid alongside or a polyethylene-coated kraft paper and
fore water reaches the basement floor, little below the footing. The tile should glass-reinforced waterproof paper, ex-
and more storage in the pit, reducing be placed in a bed of filter gravel with trusion coated on both sides with poly-
pump cycling. a uniform slope of 1 inch in 15 feet ethylene. Use 8 mil or heavier material
toward an outlet or sump. and do not puncture the barrier.
If the sump pump operation is critical
for maintaining a dry basement, con- In such a case, a sump probably will be Use control joints, construction joints,
sider one or more of the following: needed to collect water from the drain and isolation joints, and fill them with
a battery-operated backup, tile. Usually, the drain tile will drain the a suitable caulk. Joints are needed
an alarm system, or saturated soil. Under some extremely where the floor abuts walls or columns,
an auxiliary gas-operated electric wet conditions, you may need addi- around floor and shower drains, around
generator. tional tile lines under the center of the plumbing openings, around electrical
basement floor, exterior perimeter drain conduits, and around all other floor
Because sumps are in direct contact tiles, or other measures. penetrations.
with the soil, they form a possible
radon gas entry point. Gas-tight sump Basement Floor Design Provide at least one and preferably
pump covers are available from a num- Before placing the basement floor, exca- more floor drains. Slope the basement
ber of sources. For more information vate at least 6 inches of soil in order to floor toward the drains.
about radon, contact your local Iowa place 4 to 6 inches of free-draining rock
State University Extension office, the or gravel. Grade the excavation to a low Basement Wall Design
Basement walls usually are constructed
of wood, concrete block, or cast-in-
place concrete. Basements constructed
Table 2. Subsurface Drainage Measures of any of the three can be dry.

Tile and Backfill. Run a perimeter tile line entirely around the house outside For information on building a wood
the basement walls. The tile line must be lower than the finished floor height, foundation, ask for Permanent Wood
which usually means that additional excavation is needed after the footings are Foundation for Housing, Pm-955, avail-
placed. Grade or slope the tile line to a low spot and then drain it to a free able at your local Iowa State University
outlet, storm sewer, or sump pump. Cover the tile line to prevent dirt from Extension office. Wood basements con-
entering and plugging the line. structed in accordance with recommen-
dations from APAThe Engineered
Backfill with a porous material such as 1/2- to 1-inch diameter pea rock to Wood Associationhave an excellent
within 18 inches of the surface. Use low-permeability soil for the top 18 inches reputation for being warm and dry.
of backfill to prevent entry of surface water. Do not use rock, gravel, stone, or The APA recommendations are specific
bark because they allow large amounts of rainwater to enter the ground quickly. concerning surface and subsurface
drainage.
Locate Groundwater. If you suspect high water tables, make a test boring to
approximately 15 feet to locate groundwater that can affect the performance of Concrete block walls are widely used in
the basement. Water tables fluctuate, so make the boring during high water Iowa. Walls should be constructed care-
levels if possible. fully, in accordance with recommenda-
tions from masonry groups, architects,
Footing Drainage. Provide drainage through the footings with 1 1/2-inch plastic engineers, and building officials. Re-
pipe located through the footing 6 feet on center. In extremely wet locations, member that all joints should be struck,
install an impaction strip of prefabricated asphalt membrane over the footing reinforcement should be used as needed
before the wall is cast. for your soil conditions, and joints
should be used at windows, doors, and Concrete walls should be damp proofed moisture. Since soil temperatures often
other stress locations. on the exterior with two coats of a com- are cooler than air temperatures, this
mercial damp proofing product (usually can be a summer-long problem.
It is important to seal concrete block a bituminous material). The two coats
walls on the outside. The recommended should be made at right angles to each The interior wall surfaces of insulated
practice is to place two thin parge other and continue down over the tops wood foundations are warm and usu-
coats of concrete on the outer wall. The of footings to provide a complete seal. ally do not present a condensation
parge coats each should be a 1/4- to 1/2- problem. However, the vapor retarder
inch thick coating of concrete brushed Concrete Mixes and Curing must be carefully placed during con-
or trowelled over the block. They help Use a low-water concrete mixture in struction to prevent moisture vapor
seal the block and provide a good sur- basement construction. Excess water from entering and condensing in the
face for a commercial basement sealing decreases the strength of the finished wall.
product. concrete, causes the concrete to shrink
excessively as it dries, and leaves voids The interior wall surfaces of un-
The sealing product, often a bitu- as the excess water evaporates. Weak insulated concrete block and concrete
minous mixture, must be applied as concrete cracks more easily, shrinkage walls are cooled by the soil. To help
specified in product instructions. Two leaves cracks that moisture can pen- prevent condensation, the walls must
thinner coats, applied at right angles etrate, and voids allow water to seep. be insulated. The preferred location for
to each other, are better than one thick the insulation is on the exterior side of
coat. Continue applying the sealing Use only the amount of water needed the wall. The walls should be insulated
product down over the tops of footings for curing. Drier concrete requires more from the footings up. Extruded poly-
to provide a complete seal. labor to place and finish. Make certain styrene insulation, rigid fiberglass, and
the labor is available before starting urethane foam can be applied to the
To retard capillary action and help work, so the laborers will not be tempt- outside of basement walls.
prevent radon entry, seal the inner ed to add excess water at the job-site,
surface of concrete block walls with a and then puncture the water barrier to When exterior insulation cannot be
paint or waterproofing material. Select allow the concrete to dry. used, interior insulation can be used
the material carefully, and use only a by constructing a stud-frame wall on
quality product. The first coat applied Use air-entrained concrete with a the inside and insulating the stud wall.
determines the holding power of any 28-day minimum compressive strength Before insulating a basement on the in-
subsequent coatings. A poor quality of 3,000 psi, a maximum slump of side, the basement must be dry except
material might have to be removed 5 inches, and a minimum cement for condensation. Any water leaking
before applying any further sealant. content of 520 pounds per cubic yard into the interior wall insulation will
unless experience demonstrates that destroy the insulation and could lead to
A bond beam or solid cap unit should less cement may be used to produce the growth of health-damaging molds
be used at the top of the wall to prevent acceptable concrete. and mildews.
radon from the soil to flow through the
block and into the basement. Concrete curing for both walls and A small amount of insulation (R-3)
floors is one of the most important under the basement floor slab can help
Cast-in-place concrete using basement steps in producing durable, long- reduce the amount of summer conden-
forms is widely accepted material for a wearing, moisture-resistant concrete. sation that occurs on the floor surface.
residential basement. Proper design of Concrete is cured by applying water to
the wall is important. Obtain qualified the surface or by retaining water within Summer dehumidification often is
assistance to design the width of the the slab. Curing should be started as necessary in conjunction with base-
wall, the reinforcing steel required, and soon as possible without damaging ment insulation for a completely dry
the needed concrete mix. the surface. It should continue for 5 basement. You can use a dehumidifier,
days in warm weather or 7 days in an air conditioner, or bothbut dehu-
Control joints should be no more cooler weather. The temperature of the midifiers are more effective. A dehu-
than 20 feet apart. Joints are necessary concrete should not be allowed to fall midifier adds heat, which increases the
within 10 feet of corners, at the sides of below 50 F during curing. moisture carrying capacity of the air,
window and door openings, and at the and removes moisture. Air conditioners
floor and wall junction. Control joints Insulating the Basement only remove moisture while they are
should be at least 1/2 inch by 1 inch. Properly insulating a basement prevents cooling. On cool days and in cool base-
Numerous sources such as the Portland summer condensation. It occurs when ments they often do not operate long
Cement Association have guidelines warm, humid air enters the basement, enough to keep the area dry.
available. The outside face of the joint cools, and can no longer hold as much
should be caulked before backfilling.
Commercial Basement Products Exterior drainage mats are made to Bentonite clay, a naturally occurring
A number of products are available to move water around the outside of a material that expands many times when
help keep your basement dry. structure. These mats often are con- wet, is an excellent sealing material for
structed of plastic and supplied in walls. It is available in brush-on, spray-
Waterproof coatings on the inside 8-foot by 50-foot rolls. The mats can be on, and sheet form. It is self sealing,
of the walls, especially block walls, used in place of rock and gravel both and is used on many commercial and
are recommended. These coatings under the floor and along the wall. earth-sheltered structures.
greatly retard water seepage through Check with suppliers for pricing and
the blocks. Most or all interior coatings availability. Interior basement channels sealed to
will fail if exposed to saturated condi- the joint between the wall and the floor
tions over a long period of time. Do Exterior sealants are used as caulking and drained to a sump are an effective
not depend on them to replace exter- in joints. Below-grade sealants are avail- method to remove water from the wall
nal drainage. There is a big difference able from building supply wholesalers. and the wall/floor joint. Normally used
in the effectiveness of these coatings. as a retrofit installation, they also can
Consumer magazines, such as Consum- Exterior insulation that both retards be used in new house construction to
er Reports and Rodale Press, often rate heat flow and carries water down the both collect moisture and seal against
these materials. wall to the perimeter drainage tile are radon entry at the joint.
manufactured by several companies.
Exterior coatings, usually bitumi- The insulation can be used in place of Reviewed by Tom Greiner. Prepared by
nous, are a standard damp proofing the rock backfill around the wall. The Tom Greiner and Stewart Melvin, former
material. They should be used on all insulation has channels and/or grooves extension agricultural engineers; and Laura
covered with fiber that carry the water. Sternweis, extension communication spe-
block or concrete walls.
It is available in both rigid polystyrene cialist.
Perimeter drain tile, often plastic, is and high-density fiberglass.
This material is based upon work supported
manufactured by a number of compa- by the Extension Service, U.S. Department
nies. Some tile is designed especially for Polyethylene, polyethylene-coated of Agriculture, under special project num-
perimeter use, and includes a drainage draft paper, and glass-reinforced water- ber 93-EFRA-1-0002.
mat to keep dirt and rock from filling proof paper extrusion coated on both
the tile. Check with your local sup- sides with polyethylene are some of the
pliers to see what material they can wall covering materials available.
obtain.

. . and justice for all

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)
prohibits discrimination in all its programs and
activities on the basis of race, color, national
origin, gender, religion, age, disability, political
beliefs, sexual orientation, and marital or fam-
ily status. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all
programs.) Many materials can be made available
in alternative formats for ADA clients. To file a
complaint of discrimination, write USDA, Office
of Civil Rights, Room 326-W, Whitten Building,
14th and Independence Avenue, SW, Washington,
DC 20250-9410 or call 202-720-5964.

Issued in furtherance of Cooperative Extension

work, Acts of May 8 and June 30, 1914, in coop-
eration with the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Jack M. Payne, director, Cooperative Extension
Service, Iowa State University of Science and
Technology, Ames, Iowa.