Water coming in basement from patio


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Old 07-27-16, 09:18 AM
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Water coming in basement from patio

We just bought a condo which is built into the side of a hill. In the back, it is basically a walk-out (finished) basement with a concrete patio. However the patio is not correctly graded and water pools there when it rains. The inside drywall has become damp and a bit moldy from the water sitting there. It's not quite pooling on the inside, just staying pretty damp.

I realize we'll probably need to tear out and replace the patio but that involves going to the HOA to get the work done. In the meantime, can we use something like fibered asphalt or elastomeric polymer to form a seal between the concrete and wood siding, to help keep water out for now?

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Old 07-27-16, 11:30 AM
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I would not try anything like tar as it will be a mess to remove later. In order to stop water from entering you'll have to goop up a seal with the existing siding. That goop will have to be removed later.

This obviously is not a new condition so waiting a few weeks or a month for a proper fix probably won't be a big deal in the grand scheme. If there is water damage in the wall it's likely already present and another few weeks won't make a big difference. The key is to get the water flowing away from the patio.

In the mean time you can see is there are gutters or downspouts that need attention that should be directing the water away. Maybe digging a shallow drainage channel will allow the water or much of it to get off the patio.
 
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Old 07-27-16, 03:52 PM
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Bite the bullet and remove that slab. No pad outside should be that close to being the same level as the floor inside. It should be at least 2" lower, if not more.
 
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Old 07-28-16, 07:18 AM
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Thanks for the replies folks, I'll hold off on trying any "quick" repairs then. There is a lot of settling at this building and it's obviously something the previous owner neglected for a long time.

Pilot Dane thanks for the tip, the gutters & downspouts actually appear to be doing a pretty decent job.
 
 

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