Drylock of the basement

[ChadTower]

Okay... now that the weather is warming up some, and I'm in the process of dejunking the basement, time to get started down there on finishing.

I've been reading up on concrete sealers and it seems Drylock is the way to go.  Anyone here used this product and have some nonobvious tips?  Reviews seem to indicate that it seals best when either sprayed or brushed as opposed to rolled.  They say rolling doesn't penetrate quite as well.

[CCM]

I've used drylock in my basement and you definitely want to use a brush.  I tried the easy way out by using a roller once and when it dried I could see all the little spots where the drylock didn't reach.  This may be obvious, but you want to make sure you have good ventilation, the stuff is stinky!  Also, if you have an exisiting water issue you want to fix that first, the right way.... interior/exterior french drains, re-sloping of the yard, etc.. You just definitely want to keep as much water flowing away from your house as possible.  To me drylock is  the last line of defense, it's not a solution to the problem.

One of my projects for the summer is digging a ditch and installing pvc pipe for my downspouts, fun fun...

[ChadTower]

Thanks.  The instructions actually say not apply the first coat with a roller for that reason.  You can roll the second coat but not the first.

Fortunately I have zero water issues from the foundation.  We've had occasional very minor water from the bulkhead opening but that was solved by redirecting the gutter spout further away.  Everything else is as bone dry as a basement gets.  The sealer probably isn't even necessary but I may as well do it for the cheap insurance.

[Texasmame]

I used to live in NH.    Don't miss the winters, but I do miss the Sox. 

Anyhow, you have a dehumidifier down there?  We had a nice 40qt (?) one, Hampton Bay we got at the Depot - made a huge difference in the stuffiness down there. . .

[ChadTower]

Yep.  Old one but it pumps without problem.  During the winter it almost never kicks on.  During the summer it sucks a 1-2 gallons a day out of the air.  It does make a really big difference when needed.

I got mine for $5 at a yard sale.     Nothing fancy, a metal brown box with a coil, a potentiometer humidistat control, and an orange light to tell you when it's full.

[Texasmame]

Yep.  Old one but it pumps without problem.  During the winter it almost never kicks on.  During the summer it sucks a 1-2 gallons a day out of the air.  It does make a really big difference when needed.

I got mine for $5 at a yard sale.     Nothing fancy, a metal brown box with a coil, a potentiometer humidistat control, and an orange light to tell you when it's full.

Yup, that's really all you need.  Ours was in the finished area so we wanted one that looked niceish, tho.   

[ChadTower]

And probably a quieter one that mine, too.  Mine is loud, like a small box fan.

[USSEnterprise]

I need to get a dehumidifier for my basement. The backglass on my Tri-Zone, even though triple thicked, is starting to degrade.

[DrewKaree]

I dunno what to even think about that stuff.  I've heard 2 different theories about it, and this always keeps me thinking - if you don't have water problems, and you throw that stuff on the walls, are you potentially hiding a problem that may arise in the future that you'll never find out about until it's a far more serious problem than it needed to be?

I know that doesn't help you at all, but if anyone's got an answer or theory about that, please give it, as that bugs me.

As for your humidifier, if you plug in a small fan downstairs, it'll help out tremendously.  Just something to move the air even a little bit.  Mebbe set it on a timer like you'd use for a lamp, and set it to turn the fan on full blast while you're away at work so it isn't bugging you.  It'll help out a ton.  I dunno if you've got a hose from the humidifier tank, but running the hose into your sump pump will get rid of that automagically for you and eliminate you having to run downstairs every day.

[ChadTower]

I don't have a floor drain or a sump pump.  Don't need one.  The only downstairs drain right now is the washing machine drain, which is about 3' off the floor, so I'd have to put the dehumidifier on a really high shelf to use that drain.

[menace]

I too am unsure as to why use the drylock--any water that does get into the foundation (and houses aren't boats so water WILL get into your foundation) Isn't it better to be able to let the moisture move through the wall than having it sealed behind the INNER face.  This is especially true with a block foundation--they suck up water like sponges and you need someway to let that unit dry out.  Just some thoughts from my home inspection courses...

[ChadTower]

My foundation is poured concrete.  Blocks are definitely a bigger issue here.  Everything I'm reading says it doesn't need to be done but is recommended.  Concrete breathes in ALL directions, I am reading, so unless it is completely saturated, you're not trapping water in it.  If it IS saturated, water would be coming through, and that indicates much larger problems than Drylok would solve.

Basically, the "expert sites" seem to mostly say that if you're not getting moisture through the walls already, you're not getting enough water in the concrete for blocking on the inside to be a problem. 

My house was built in 1954 so it's done settling and the water table isn't going to change.  If it were newer there would be a case for letting the environment stabilize more.

[mccoy178]

Drylock has been known to cause cancer in lab rats in California.

[DrewKaree]

Drylock has been known to cause cancer in lab rats in California.

I think McCoy sprained his uterus.

[shardian]

I don't have a floor drain or a sump pump.  Don't need one.  The only downstairs drain right now is the washing machine drain, which is about 3' off the floor, so I'd have to put the dehumidifier on a really high shelf to use that drain.

You can get a pump for a dehumidifier that will get the water up to that level. They are made for allowing you to run a hose up to a basement window.

[billf]

Drylock has been known to cause cancer in lab rats in California.

Good thing Chad lives in MA then.

[ChadTower]

You can get a pump for a dehumidifier that will get the water up to that level. They are made for allowing you to run a hose up to a basement window.

Yay for pumping water out of the air in your basement and dropping it right outside the foundation wall to seep back in.

[kingflynn]

You can get a pump for a dehumidifier that will get the water up to that level. They are made for allowing you to run a hose up to a basement window.

Yay for pumping water out of the air in your basement and dropping it right outside the foundation wall to seep back in.

Then pump it into your washer drain.  It sure beats emptying it manually.

[ChadTower]

Doesn't bother me to empty it manually.  Helps me keep better track of how much work it is doing.

[mccoy178]

Where is the slap emoticon?  Oh, here it is.

[BobbyG66]

I had problems with my walls getting wet and put on two coats of Drylok.
I also ran better drainage around the foundation.
No more wet walls.

I also plan on adding a second sump pump and draining the dehumidifiers into that.
I can then pump the water out into the back yard away from the house.

Only in the spring when the snow melts or during mega rain storms does my sump turn on.
Also in my town in MA you are not allowed to drain the sump pump into your drain pipes.
They don't say anything about dehumidifiers, but like yours I also collect 1-2 gallons during the summer.

It sounds like you have a dry basement but I would add the drylok anyways for insurance.
Use a brush too, it's kind of thich and you need the brush to get into the nooks and crannies where the molds from the foundation come together.

Good luck!

[ChadTower]

I took a closer look at the walls yesterday... for the first time noticed that it is already brushed with a thin coat of something white.  It's probably not as white as it used to be but it's there.  I wonder if this has already been done.  There are tons of pinholes, though, so one more coat would still be useful.