I live in a '50's house that had a severe leak this summer with our 14 plus inches of rain. I learned lots because I had to. 1. If we just seal the cracks, what happens to future rains that fall on clay soil with homes so close together? >>>>>>>>>>>Sealing your cracks will do nothing to stop your problem. (been there, done that). 2. Do we attack the outside and put in a drainage system only (fixing the grade on 2 sides as well)? >>>>>>>If you get estimates from people who install sump pumps, they will tell you that this is the only way to go. It MAY fix your problem, but it is not going to fix what is causing the problem (water coming in from the outside). If you get estimates from landscaping companies, they should give you a detailed estimate explaining how/why what they do will work. In general, you have a problem on the outside that needs to be fixed. Re-grading should do the trick. 3. Do we add exterior drainage and improve grade AND seal from the inside?>>.>>>No. 4. Do we need to pour new concrete in the basement? Can we get by with just patching the cracks? If new concrete is needed, how do we deal with the transition from unfinished to finished floor? Yes, new drywall walls are in place. No. I discovered by talking to a contractor that I trust with my life, that when these older homes were built, the walls of the basement were put in first, then the flooring was poured. Companies that built them, probably used watered down sealer, and it is now worthless with time. You also have a crack around the edge of your basement where the floor and wall meet, that's where your water is coming from. 5. What kinds of companies deal with this? Now that it's Dec. 1 and we're in the Chicago area, do we deal with this now weather-wise or do we wait til spring? I would get three estimates from a landscaping company and three from a company that installs sump pumps, just to get started on educating yourself. Sump pump companies will try to scare you into getting one of these things, but they are not in my opinion what you need. Don't be pressured into signing a contract or anything. Also, research the subject to death. You may also have improper gutters and down spouts (that I discovered are just as important as gutters. My house had both that were to narrow for the roof. Additionally, if you have very large bushes, trees, etc. planted along your house, the roots dig into the ground, and when it rains, the water follows the loose soil along the roots. A landscaping company should tell you what to do with all of this. Don't say anything, just ask them how they intend to fix the problem. Good luck! SG

I have a similar situation (age/ style, etc.) and am in northern NY, so similar climate issues. I don't hold out much hope that you can successfully coat your way out of the damp-wall problem. (I've never seen anyone who has been able to do so.) Meanwhile some questions: Are your stones dry laid? On my interior walls, I have the residue of frequently renewed whitewashing, which can build up and appear thick and rubbery in some places. Because it is so alkaline, it inhibits mold growth. You can insulate the water and waste pipes and eliminate the condensate. Do you know if your concrete floor has a vapor barrier under it? (It most likely won't if it the floor is pre 1970's....) Have you had your cellar tested for radon? No matter what kind of mortar you slap up on the walls, you'll still have the issue of moisture and/or vapor-proofing them. And finally a caveat, be very wary of all kinds of proprietary basement waterproofing services' claims (both interior and exterior varieties). Many say they are a good fix, but they are more suited to modern homes with poured or block foundations. Your stones may look smoothish (or at least in the same general plane) on the inside, but chances are they are highly irregular on the outside. This not a labor saving technique; the irregularity helps "key" the stones into the surrounding earth and hold the whole thing together. Basement dampness was not an unknown phenomenon in the mid-19th century. (Except, of course, they didn't have condensation from water pipes.) They handled this by opening ground level windows and hatches during breezy periods and backfilling the foundation trench so it drains off well. Plus, they planned for different uses than we do in these spaces; now we often have furnaces or boilers to keep them warmer and dryer in the winter which gets us thiking about year-round use. Basement conditions in our houses were/are excellent for over-winter storage of apples in barrels and kegs of sauerkraut. Nowadays we want to put in electronic machines (w/d) and recreational equipment, etc. I have yet to vapor-barrier the floor in my main basement. It is very old concrete. My plan is to install a high-quality vapor barrier underneath a floor of rubber-zed/plasticized snap-together tiles. I plan to whitewash my walls. Meanwhile, I keep my stuff on shelves set-up a few inches away from the walls. I use metal shelving with the feet set down into aluminum cat food cans which keeps them from rusting. My washing machines are up on platforms and away from the wall by by several feet. I bought an old metal laboratory bench with a fireslate counter to use as a flower arranging surface/ workbench. Its feet are also in cat food tins. My husband has four Stairmaster machines that live in the basement in the winter. These are parked on the floor on top of 3X6 rubber-backed polypropylene doormats. I cannot use the basement area for storage of anything that might be harmed by higher levels of humidity: storage of Christmas things, of craft things, boxes of files, etc. These all have to in upstairs, either in closets in the living space or the attic. And since I can not bear to have my clothes dried in this slightly musty/damp space, nor do my ironing, I have broken up the customary washer/dryer pairing. I have a small room on the first floor that I use for drying (by machine), sorting, and mending clothing and textiles. I keep my sewing machine in this room. Since, I line dry outside almost exclusively, taking the clothes up one flight is a given. I find that it is very useful to confine the wet part of laundry (including a capacious sink area for soaking) in the same space with a rather grand utility sink and drainboard and the watery mess of flower arranging and houseplant fussing. Except during extraordinary times, we don't run dehus continuously, although they can dry things out nicely, in the short run. But they are expensive and noisy. A little frank conversation with PO, might give you an idea what they tried, and how it worked, saving you repeating the same trials. I'm afraid I have concluded that if I really wanted a dry basement, I should have bought a modern facsimile of my house, with a poured, insulated and vapor-barriered foundation. Good luck with yours! Molly~

Not sure what your situation is with regard to water in the cellar, but if you have the typical gravity drain system you have a great opportunity. The gap along the perimeter of the foundation can be filled with gravel and perforated drain pipe can be installed - topped with more gravel - to direct water to the drain exit. I'd also be a little cautious with the re-pointing. You do not want to create a situation where you are sealing the foundation from the inside. This has the potential of causing water pressure to build up on the outside of the foundation walls - not something you want. Foundations of this era - 18th and most of the 19th century - were generally designed to allow water to enter, then exit via a drain. Re-pointing above grade should present no problems, but any sealing below grade should be on the exterior side. Diverting water away from the foundation through grading on the outside is really the best thing you can do.

Best way to deal with something like this, if to allow the water to bypass the block and drain out under the slab. The water will percolate into the ground below the slab or find its way into the sump pump. We do this all the time and this method is approved by most engineers. The way this is done, on the problematic wall, you cut a narrow strip of the slab near the block wall 4' on center (strip to cut 3" x 8" big enough to install the pipe), drill a hole in the block and install a 3/4 PVC pipe with a 90-degree elbow and fill the cut portion of concrete with cement. If you handy enough it can be done DIY with a few tools you can rent for 1/2 day rental, if not you can hire a local masonry contractor and they can do that in one day. Here is a cross section so you get an idea. Filling with cement is not a good idea, you will not fill cinder block cells solid enough to prevent water seepage it will be a waste of time, money and too much work. If you have a cracked concrete wall the repair can be done by installing injector ports and the crack can be filled solid using epoxy.