Investor · Los Angeles, CA · Member since 2016 · 38 posts · 22 votes
I bought a building, remodeled interior of building and got the rents up.... Then refinanced. I am using that money to do siding and roofing. Recently it was discovered there is a substantial horizontal crack in the foundation, which began leaking during a rainstorm into the basement unit. The quotes I’m getting for the foundation are extraordinarily high.  I wanted to get some experienced opinions about fixing foundation leaks.
Investor · Shelton, WA · Member since 2017 · 6k+ posts · 6k+ votes
6y
@Nathan Adams depending on the size and location of the crack you could extend downspout ends 3-4 feet away from the foundation, Install a French drain, inject epoxy into the crack, apply some tar to the foundation or maybe a combination of these. Hard to say w/o more info. To inject the epoxy requires a special gun that most trades do not have so if you are looking at tradesman inquire about their expertise.
Investor · Shelton, WA · Member since 2017 · 6k+ posts · 6k+ votes
6y
@Nathan Adams depending on the size and location of the crack you could extend downspout ends 3-4 feet away from the foundation, Install a French drain, inject epoxy into the crack, apply some tar to the foundation or maybe a combination of these. Hard to say w/o more info. To inject the epoxy requires a special gun that most trades do not have so if you are looking at tradesman inquire about their expertise.
I agree with @Bjorn Ahlblad you can inject the crack with epoxy and defer water from the area as best you can. I’ve had waterproofing companies come in where it was more significant and it can cost anywhere from just under a $1000 to $6000 depending on the severity of the problem.
Investor · Atlanta, GA · Member since 2018 · 59 posts · 78 votes
6y
+1 to the comments so far. Rerouting water is always the most important step for preventing water damage. That might involve repairing gutters and drains, caulking seems in places, or resloping the ground around the building so water flows away.
Investor · Los Angeles, CA · Member since 2016 · 38 posts · 22 votes
6y
@Bjorn Ahlblad Thanks so much for your suggestions. I'm getting quotes to dig it up and repair from $16K to $21K. Everyone I'm talking to says I have to dig up from the outside. Can I inject the cracks from the inside? From what I can see, the previous owner tried that and obviously it didn't work. Also, this is in a town of about 65,000 with few available contractors and foundation companies. So I'm a bit limited with my ability to get this remedied.
Investor · Los Angeles, CA · Member since 2016 · 38 posts · 22 votes
6y
@Kenneth Garrett Would a waterproofing company be different from a foundation company? The town I invest in has about 65K people and not many available options for fixing. Trying to make it work for as little as possible, but still fix it right. Let me know if you need more info? Thanks!
Investor · Los Angeles, CA · Member since 2016 · 38 posts · 22 votes
6y
@John LaBanca Thanks John. I had already gotten new gutters and sloped the ground at the base of the building. Just didn't seem to be enough. Looks like I'm going to have to dig it up and try to fix it from underneath. Thanks for the comments!
If it’s not a structural issue then a waterproofing can be used. If the crack is so bad it is a structural issue then you will need a foundation repair company. Call a waterproofing company first.