We have fine cracks in our basement floor that leaks. Any DIY help?

Hydrostatic Pressure – Water in the ground under your basement is under pressure caused by the water table, which is determined by various factors like frequent rains, type of soil or proximity to bodies of water. When the water table rises, this hydrostatic pressure increases, held back from entering your basement by foundation walls and the basement floor. Basement floors are typically fairly thin because they serve no structural purpose in the foundation so they are prone to cracking. When cracks do occur in your basement floor, no matter how small, water is forced up through them and into your basement by the hydrostatic pressure below.

It is very difficult to identify why there is a high water table around your home; as a result, identifying the ideal solution for solving resultant wet basement problems is tricky and requires experience. A very efficient and cost effective way to control the height of the water table beneath your basement floor is to install an interior perimeter drainage system; this type of system is the industry standard means of dealing with wet basements caused by a high water table. In a nutshell, this system is installed beneath a basement floor to collect ground water and pump it out before it gets high enough to push up through basement floor cracks and/or the cove joint. Attempting to seal the cove joint or floor cracks is not a recommended repair strategy for situations where water is seeping in from beneath the floor. This is because the hydrostatic pressure is typically so significant that it bypasses the repair attempt, and also because water will typically take the path of least resistance to where it can enter the basement.

You will need a waterproofing professional to assess the problem and provide you with a solution.

Have had to spend lots of bucks for waterproofing myself because of a high water table. A good, trustworthy professional in your area can advise you best as to what to do. I have also had two sump pumps installed which work well as long as the electricity stays on in a storm. Some people in my area (a suburb of Baltimore MD) have invested in gas driven generators to use when we get hurricanes (yes, hurricanes) and nor'easters. Generators have to be used carefully and not in garages. Need to run generator outdoors or carbon monoxide can have it's way with you. William has given you some good advice. Good luck; wet basements are a pain in the ---!