BS: Help!! Flooded basement

Subject: BS: Help!! Flooded basement
From: Shanghaiceltic
Date: 23 Aug 04 - 01:39 AM

Could any MC's out there give me advice on drying out a basement.

Just had two days of the heaviest rains I have ever seen in Shanghai which resulted in a foot of water in the basement.

The basements floor and walls are concrete with a plaster skim on the walls.

It has now been pumped out but I am concerned about how to get it properly dry?

Always wished for an indoor pool but.........

Subject: RE: BS: Help!! Flooded basement
From: Bert
Date: 23 Aug 04 - 01:42 AM

Sika Chemical Company makes a lot of good products for fixing these problems.

Subject: RE: BS: Help!! Flooded basement
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 23 Aug 04 - 03:04 AM

If all puddles have been removed, then a good (preferably dry) air flow will assist in lowering humidity.

If the water seeped in thru the walls, you can try a waterproofing treatment. If it came in thru a window - that's obvious then mate!

For plain concrete, an old fashioned fairly cheap (if you can locate it) treatment is 'water glass' - sodium silicate - it was used to help preserve eggs by coating the shells. It will soak in and chemically bond with the concrete. I seem to remember from my grandparents that it was traditional (even the chinese seemed to use it) Aussie egg treatment and was readily available, now possibly only from country hardware or specialist suppliers. You may track it down in an oriental supermarket - I don;t know if such traditions still carry on where you are.

I'm not an expert on the plaster, perhaps removing it, water glassing it (or some other soak-in treatment) and re-plastering? There will something you can use directly on the plaster. Many products now are bituminous, rubber, or silicone based - many just sit on the surface, and the water is still embedded in the wall, so will leak thru any crack in the treatment.

Robin

Subject: RE: BS: Help!! Flooded basement
From: Peace
Date: 23 Aug 04 - 03:09 AM

Weeping tile around the foundation would be a good idea. But, it's expensive to have done and back-breaking to do your self.

Subject: RE: BS: Help!! Flooded basement
From: SINSULL
Date: 23 Aug 04 - 08:35 PM

A dehumidifier?

Subject: RE: BS: Help!! Flooded basement
From: Deckman
Date: 23 Aug 04 - 10:33 PM

In my opinion, there's damned little you can do. Sure, get fans and blow out the wetness. "Water glass" is an old and proven recipe, but it won't work this year. You can dig drain lines around the foundation of your basement, but that also won't help quickly. I can think of no good QUICK answers. me

Subject: RE: BS: Help!! Flooded basement
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 23 Aug 04 - 10:42 PM

Sinsull beat me to it--get yourself a dehumidifier, basically an air conditioner that doesn't cool, but just dries the air. Run it along with some fans and dry the room out. At least it's a start!

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Help!! Flooded basement
From: Bill D
Date: 23 Aug 04 - 10:50 PM

and if they have the equivalent of an anti-mold & mildew spray there, it's a good thing to keep handy.

Subject: RE: BS: Help!! Flooded basement
From: open mike
Date: 24 Aug 04 - 01:21 AM

the links below in the google boxes offer help..
leaking basement and water out are the links..

Subject: RE: BS: Help!! Flooded basement
From: GUEST,leeneia
Date: 25 Aug 04 - 12:06 AM

If it were my basement, I would disinfect it as well as dry it out. Perhaps a dilute solution of chlorine bleach in water. What do the experts say?

Subject: RE: BS: Help!! Flooded basement
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 25 Aug 04 - 12:09 AM

Unfortunately the ads change and the previous links dissapear each time the page is displayed.

Subject: RE: BS: Help!! Flooded basement
From: Shanghaiceltic
Date: 25 Aug 04 - 03:21 AM

Thanks everyone. The basement is drying and I have fans running to get an airflow through the basement.

The site management of where we live are looking at how to improve the drains to prevent this happening again. Luckily the sewers did not back up or the damage would have been much worse!

Regards

Frank