We have an unfinished basement poured concrete , built 2001 and i bought it 2014 and have not noticed any water in the basement x 5 yrs .Dry no smell etc . There are effluence marks which points to minimal seepage over years. we decided to finish the basement and noticed water spots AFTER the Framing was put in.

I was hoping to landscaping , remove the framing and drylock

Question : Would a drainage system int/ext be overkill as we have never noticed any water and this is the first time damp spots are visible. There initially no damp spots and once the framing went it we saw the damp spots ? powdered gun caused it ?

Any suggestions will be appreciated

 

Depending on where you are located you should already have a exterior perimeter drainage system. Some areas that don't have building codes may not but exterior damp proofing and drainage is a requirement for most modern homes. Have you found any drainage pipes outside or do you have a sump pump? Do you see water coming out of the pipe after heavy rains?

 

We have a very good underground rain water systems and rarely see any water . We do not have a sump pump and never saw any water even after this year heavy rainfall. I did noticed the side landscaping with areas where water might collect which i plan to fix. the house sits on a hills with half of the basement exposed (walkout).

The damp spots are new since the framing there are 4 of them . The local Buxy.Doggie Drainage company wants to put in a french drain as "the foundation is leaking and you will have a flood soon line " or the Mold-boo.

i was thinking of keeping a few window inspection area so i can monitor. if the problem is outside we should fix it from outside . he asked for 9k ...i rather spend 15 k if the outside is a real fix.

 

Are you sure it is not condensation? I have a vacation home in Maine with an unfinished walk-out basement. There is a screened-in garage door that I leave open when I am there. Condensation literally drips from the concrete walls. Behind the washer and dryer where there is less air flow the water actually drips off the metal cabinets and puddles on the floor below. Last week I bought some pressure treated lumber for a project and left it on the concrete floor. The moisture from the PT lumber also caused some slight puddling there too.

Insulation and airflow is needed to prevent the condensation caused by warm humid air contacting the cold concrete.

 

So, this comment seems to contradict itself, a very good system but rarely see water.

Can you define what the underground rain system is and where do you see water?

 

We have roof gutters that empty into drains (poking out of ground) and according to the neighbors go into the sewer system or rain system. i dont see any discharge or dry wells around . we do not see puddles around the house or any flooding outside when it rains. It rained a lot 2 days ago and the basement is already drying up

the " rarely see water" is the water stains we see in the first picture inside the basement which are clearly some low level seepage. Never real water

i was initially thinking condensation too . unfortunately the location 5 spots under framing and the timing immediately after framing nails makes it more likely its related to the impact of the nails causing some seepage.

The general opinion seems to be that french drains are over kill ( professional waterproofing) as the house is on a hill and half the basement is exposed walkout.

Outside landscaping with Dry lok with hydralic cement after removing base framing seems to be the direction. one person also suggested leaving the framing in and just pouring the drylok in the cove edge(where foundation meets the floor) . and using liquid nails rather then the cement gun. he felt there was not enough water to justify a drain system.

not to sound stupid but (i will) a part of me just wants to dig a hole in the basement and see if there any underground water and put a sump in if there is.

 

If your house was built in 2001 the gutters do not drain into the sewer. They may go to a storm water runoff system or exit somewhere you cannot see. If you are on a hill with a walkout basement it is very common for the foundation perimeter drain to open to daylight somewhere.

There really isn't anything new in solving basement water problems. The issue comes up on this forum frequently and everyone is looking for a cheap & easy fix that can be done from the inside. I personally have never seen DryLok or any other paint on product applied to the inside stop water for more than a few years. Eventually the relentless pressure of water or water vapor will get though a coating. Your goal is to keep the water outside and away from the home. Your basement is not a boat's hull so it's not great at keeping water out so the next best thing is to keep the water away.

While knocking a hole in your floor and installing a sump has some merit. The key is the water MUST have a very easy path to get to the sump. If the water cannot VERY freely flow to the sump it may not help. If the water gets backed up on it's way to the sump it can find another way into your home.