House repairs...

[JERRY2KONE]

Originally Posted by TexasSP

I think I would talk to a basement company that specializes in this area and have them come take a look. Seeing as this is your foundation your house sits on I would be very careful before taking any steps to fix the problem. The foundation being to core of your house, I would hate to do anything to make things worse.

That is exactly the point that I am trying to make. Yea I know we are all looking for ways to save a few bucks and cut down on overspending, but when it comes to your home there are just some things that have to be done the hard way. Just hearing some of the points of view on this subject should really make you think closely before jumping into using a cement saw, or jackhammer. The thought of your foundation shifting, or having even more water come into your basement would scare the hell out of me. Like I stated earlier a few beers can go a long way in getting good advice.

[JThiessen]

Originally Posted by JERRY2KONE

That is exactly the point that I am trying to make. Yea I know we are all looking for ways to save a few bucks and cut down on overspending, but when it comes to your home there are just some things that have to be done the hard way. Just hearing some of the points of view on this subject should really make you think closely before jumping into using a cement saw, or jackhammer. The thought of your foundation shifting, or having even more water come into your basement would scare the hell out of me. Like I stated earlier a few beers can go a long way in getting good advice.

Eh - why let fear and common sense stand in the way of a good DIY home repair story.....

I've never learned anything by doing it right the first time!

[JERRY2KONE]

We all have to know what our limits are. Ripping up carpeting is hard work but relaitvely easy to do from the thinking standpoint. Laying carpet is hard work as well, but you can hardly hurt your home if it is not installed correctly. Putting in a window or hanging a door can save you money, but will not make your house fall down if you do it wrong, so go for it.

BUT spraying sealant over a wet basement hoping that it will hold back the water is a waste of time & money, and surely punching holes in your basement floor can cause damage to the foundation of your home if you have flowing water under it. There are just some things that one should not do DIY if they have no experience in that field. One should weigh the possible outcome against the possible savings when trying to avoid spending too much money. How many times have we seen someone trying to skimp on a job and ending up with a catastrophy as a result due to a pure and simple lack of knowledge, which ended up costing them $$$$$$ to recover? We are all allowed our opinions, and we are all suceptable to our own stupidity or lack of understanding sometimes. That is why the voice of reason is always out there for us to hear. BOTTOM LINE you have to make your own decisions and be ready to accept the consiquences of our actions. Good luck BG.

[Maxx42]

Originally Posted by JERRY2KONE

BUT spraying sealant over a wet basement hoping that it will hold back the water is a waste of time & money, and surely punching holes in your basement floor can cause damage to the foundation of your home if you have flowing water under it. There are just some things that one should not do DIY if they have no experience in that field. One should weigh the possible outcome against the possible savings when trying to avoid spending too much money. How many times have we seen someone trying to skimp on a job and ending up with a catastrophy as a result due to a pure and simple lack of knowledge, which ended up costing them $$$$$$ to recover? We are all allowed our opinions, and we are all suceptable to our own stupidity or lack of understanding sometimes. That is why the voice of reason is always out there for us to hear. BOTTOM LINE you have to make your own decisions and be ready to accept the consiquences of our actions. Good luck BG.

Spraying sealant on wet concrete is a horrible idea because the sealant would never be able to cure properly. Any type of sealant should be applied during dry conditions. The point that I was trying to make before was that there are other options that should be explored that are DIY before doing something more radical like chopping up the foundation floor for a well for a sump pump (which still doesn't solve the problem of the water entering the basement, it just provides a way to get rid of it). Also as far as some contractors go - he could talk to a "professional" that may say "you could do that, but in the end you'll really need this". I personally would take even their advice with a grain of salt - business is really down for most contractors and many of them are looking for that one job that can carry them for a couple of weeks. Maybe he'll get advice from a contractor that is spot on without the huge pricetag that goes with it, but I doubt it. I do agree with you that in the end BG will have to make up his own mind on what he will do and accept any possible consequences, however with that being said, I hate to see someone spend a pile of money going straight to a contractor without trying simpler and far less expensive alternatives first that in most cases do work (this is coming from someone with 15 plus years in construction - this isn't my field of expertise, but I know how contractors talk and I have picked up quite a few tips in my time).