Leaking Concrete Stucco Wall in Orlando, Florida area.
by
David E
I have an exterior wall which is leaking at the base where the wall meets the concrete. I did grind all the stucco off where the concrete block meets the concete pad, and put a waterproof membrane on that. Then I stuccoed over that. However, it is still leaking somewhere. There are some windows, but those are sealed and I just don't see where the leaking is coming from. Also, I didn't paint the stucco or block yet, so is it possible that it is finding it's way into the the base through a window or through the block itself.
Please help or give me someone to call to investigate this leak. It is driving me crazy. Thanks.
Please help or give me someone to call to investigate this leak. It is driving me crazy. Thanks.
1 answer
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When is this leaking? All the time, or after rains? How bad is the leak? Really wet or a simple stain. Sealing a wall to prevent water from leaking out is like putting a bandage on the outside of a pool to keep the water in. May work for a few days, but the water pressure will simply push off the patch. The first thing is to figure out where the water is coming in from. And this is done by several methods. When is the water coming out? After a rain, after perhaps you water a garden? After a shower in the house? What is directly behind this wall where you see the leaking at? Bathroom, laundry, kitchen? Is the house single story or several levels? I know you said you have windows above that appear to be sealed, but what kind of windows do you have? Vinyl, wood, What is the house constructed of? block, wood over block foundation? Is there a basement or crawl space under the house? Or is the house on a slab? How far up are you seeing the leak? Is it right were the foundation meets the slab, or several inches above? I assume by saying you ground the stucco off that you have a hard coat system in place? Or is there foam board system EIFS installed above this area? Is there anyway you can take a photo or two both close up and a few feet away to get an idea of what you have. I had a client many years ago who had a leak in their basement. They also had stucco on the house. After ripping out several levels of wall board in three stories of the house. it turned out that the gable vent near the peak of the roof was leaking. The water was traveling down between the sheets of plywood back and fourth until it reached the basement sill almost 30 feet down and 20 feet sideways were it ran into the basement wall. So your leak can be coming from just about anywhere. Feel free to reach out to me via phone and I can walk you through what to look for. But knowing the answers to the questions can help determine the cause of your issue at hand.
Woodbridge Environmental Tiptophouse.com
on Jun 25, 2012
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