Leak after spending thousands on an exterior french drain

:50 she shows the leaky area, the ‘main’ one

1:20 She says, ‘we have water on our floor after spending thousands of dollars… on an exterior french drain’

She says and thinks after the recent rains in her neck of duh woods that some OTHER areas are now, fixed… no water in basement in some-areas where there used to be (before the French drain). Unfortunately, those other areas will highly likely leaky again because, the french drain did not fix/repair/waterproof… anything.

They have some mold/efflorescence on walls because… there are exterior cracks in basement walls and possibly other openings above grade so, THAT is what needed to be identified and repaired/waterproofed, NOT a French drain that she says… cost thousands.

Again, the thousands of dollars they spent on a french drain could have and should have been spent on fixing/waterproofing the exterior cracks in basement walls etc.

Another homeowners leaky basement video


:15 -------- 2:05 multiple areas where water enters basement.
MOST are either along the grade OR above grade… that’s where the water is entering. The area by the beam ‘may’ be the only area that needs a little digging/waterproofing.

NO interior basement system and sump pump would seal/repair/waterproof ANY of the actual problems, exterior openings-defects that both of these homeowners have.

Merry Christmas, from CKLW http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HZcbkieZ1JY

Short vid’s, Grandma Kenny in Ohio… 'Remember, he can’t call you, you gotta call him, bye bye"

Kenny has everything, he doesn’t necessarily use all of it…

Kenny said, they’ll waterproof YER whole basement FER $2,995!!

Mark…
Thanks you for sharing your tales and experience with us. I have learned much from you! Hope you had a great Christmas, and have an even better New Year!

I thought you may appreciate this related thread on FB (closed group).
(Sorry, you may need to zoom in to read).

Do you have an opinion you wish to share?

Mr. Jonas,

Thanks for the kind words man.

Yes sir we had an okay Christmas and hope you had a better one.
(most of our families have passed so, not quite what it used ta be)

Anyways, hope business is going good for you.

I read what I could from that facebook thread and am sure you know looll, i do not agree with Bob Evans.

Apparently they’ve been in business for 5 years (according to their-website), the BBB opened their file on them 1 year ago so, not much to go by.

Yeah sure, maybe they do good work… installing French drains or grading etc, fine! Doing THAT, doesn’t make anyone a real expert of this-subject, although many will claim how good they are, how honest they are etc etc.

Hate to sound like a hard azz again but truth is, in no way would i recommend anything that… they do. Never have. No, not for anyone with a leaky basement.

When a homeowner gets water in their basement because they have a crack in the wall then, THAT is what needs to be fixed/waterproofed correctly and often, doing/waterproofing that crack on the outside, or say 2 cracks in 2 areas, will cost LESS than what this guy and others like him, charge to put in some drain tile, grading.

I see he recommends injections for cracks, oh well. Again, NOT an expert, not on this subject.

So, for an example on what Bob Evans may tell a homeowner to do for a leaking basement… photos/link below,
http://picasaweb.google.com/101049034584960315932/Crawlspace#5540665133328086770

And the rest of that photo album, same house…
http://picasaweb.google.com/101049034584960315932/Crawlspace

So from what he says on his website etc, I’d guess he would play MORE water diverting games at this house…they already spent thousands on new concrete thinking, all the new concrete, the better pitch of the slabs would somehow keep all the water away from, off–of,the basement walls.

Hmmm, maybe he would tear out some concrete and then install a French drain along the side of house costing $$$$$$ more.

THAT, a French drain, would not have stopped further water from entering the exterior cracks, joints etc and, would not have stopped further deterioration of more blocks, plus, the wall is bowed in.

If he, Mr Bob or anyone else, does NOT honestly and correctly, first, determine/identify how and where the water is actually entering a basement then, they’re fkg over homeowners. Just like all the interior basement system bubbleheads.

Another example, say a homeowner is only leaking because they have 1 or more leaky-deteriorated rod holes behind some drywall. Well, need to identify THAT.
Instead what many do is, sell the homeowner whatever it is they do, like Bob, i guess sell them a French drain or re-grade.
But again, if the homeowner only has a couple leaky rod holes then, they don’t need any stupid French drain!
But HE has to KNOW wtf to look for, he has to be someone who will take the time and FIND the actual problem(s) and then, be honest about it! looollll That means, tell the homeowner, see… we removed a little drywall and the water is entering through a rod hole, that is your problem.

Or another example, say a homeowner gets water in their basement (finished), DUE to, because of, some open- cracked mortar joints and bricks ABOVE ground. They have no crack, no leaky rod holes etc, ONLY 1+ openings above grade. So how would Mr Bob’s french drain repair/tuckpoint those joints and bricks? He wouldn’t. He’d install the French drain costing $$$ and the homeowner would still leak. They’d still leak because the actual problem was not identified nor repaired. Got milk???

Jeff, sorry, a tad more loool…

i read where Mr Bob said… paraphrasing here, ‘the key factor is water, poor drainage, is the root cause of most foundation settlement, bowed walls, cracks’ etc.

Well, might want to take into consideration, droughts… what often happens during droughts? Uh huh.

So it wouldn’t be the greatest idea or recommendation to a homeowner, to try and keep every lil drop of water away from their foundation.

Underground roots and concrete slabs or porch footing can also cause quite a few of the same problems… cracks in walls, leaks, bowed walls etc.

One more exxxxxxxxxxample, according to Mr Bob and some others, I’m guessing they would have told THIS homeowner in video to… install a French drain and–or, remove and replace a few driveways slabs… RIGHT???

Hmm, if you replaced a few (say 3) slabs then, THAT would have cost around $1,500…
And how much to break out some concrete and then install a French drain along thise side of the house?
VERSUS, what we did in the video that cost $1,350.

The $1,350 actually fixed/waterproofed the BELOW grade problems versus, if some Bozo talked a homeowner into replacing slabs or a French drain, the homeowner would still have those openings where water can enter.
PLUS, this was a 2–part problem, one was the openings etc in the chimney walls etc BELOW grade and, they needed some tuckpointing ABOVE grade. Hmmm, new slabs or a French drain doesn’t seal/repair/waterproof EITHER of these.

Jeff, loool, enjoyed how you sort of put Bob on duh spot, and Bob says he is not in the foundation repair business BUTT, he supposedly recommends competent foundation companies to homeowners. Geeeez, hope so.
On his website he claims/says, they have had years of experience IN the foundation repair business.
Well, WHICH is it Bob?

Let Bubba ask if you please, how much money did this French drain cost?
:10 – :20 h e says, “the homeowner was getting a little water in the basement, so uh we’re here now to address the issue… what we’re doing is a french drain…”
short video, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mjyUuy32HE4

Hmm, I would ask, where were they getting that little bit of water in the basement… is there a crack in the basement wall? Is there 1++ openings along/above the grade where they get the stupid water in? And so on.

FIND the problem, determine WHY and where the stupid water is getting in. Don’t hire a landscaper who GUESSES that a french drain will solve all, bullshtt.

Let’s say, there IS a vertical crack in the wall and THAT is why the homeowner gets a little water in the basement. Well, all they would need to do is a small area, 5’ or so in length… would cost about $1,275, depends on the depth to footing.

I bet the landscaper charged as much and possibly more than 1,275… and, they didn’t IDENTIFY the actual problem(s) NOR did they fix/repair whatever the actual problem is.