Can anyone recommend a product to seal the intersection of cement and Hardy board?  My contractor did not understand that the cement pad for my air conditioning units should have been sloped AWAY from the house.  I am getting some water infiltration in my basement through my ICFs and I am hoping between new gutters and a system to reroute the water on this pad will solve my problem.

Thanks in advance,

Bill

"My contractor did not understand that the cement pad for my air conditioning units should have been sloped AWAY from the house"

Any contrator that does not know that water runs downhill is a danger to anything he touches. The correct solution to this is to get the contractor back and have him install it correctly. No amount of caulking will permanantly correct this problem.

The more important question is why, with any kind of a concrete foundation, you are getting water in your basement. ICF's should not experience water penatration any more than any other type of concrete wall unless there are voids in it. The wall should have some type of coating or covering that prevents water infiltration, plus you should have foundation drains that remove the water before it builds up enough static pressure to make it through the concrete. I would strongly recommend you get your excavation contractor and ICF contractor back and have them explain exactly why your basement is not dry. Regardless of individual problems like your sloping pad, any house has to be built with the assumption that water will get in if possible and measures need to be taken that keeps it OUT.
Bob Irving

If the pad is not sloped away, is the earth? or has the pad settled with the earth and all sloping towards house?

caulk is not the solution, the pad needs to be corrected, hardi does not do well when in constant contact with water.
Gutters will help, but sounds like something else is going on

Bob and Chris,

Thank you for replying.  This project has been a mostly do it yourself project and I have learned more than ever dreamed, mostly by screwing things up:)  Anyway, I have attached some pictures, in addition to the pad that you can see in the pictures, another was added between that one and the deck, against the house.  The driveway is concreted to the house on all sides, it is a walk out basement. 

Before back filling I applied a membrane, that had anti termite properties.  This product is called Polyguard 650 XT.  I did have a little problem with this product on the North side of the house as I applied it on a cold day only 5 degrees above the recommended temperature.  The product self peeled off and I had to re-adhere it.  However, on the West side of the house, where I am having the leaking, it went up with no problems.

I also have a footing drain, with silt socks with approximately one foot of crushed stone then back fill.

Here is where I believe I made a major error.  I back filled with existing spoils piles.  The soil in this area is fairly shaley and there are a fair amount of stones in it.  There is a real possiblility that the membrane was compromised.

I have yet to sit and watch where the water comes from in my basement, although it does enter very close to the center of the width of the wall.  I don't know if it is rising from the floor or is coming down the wall.  When my schedule permits I will sit and watch during the next storm, and we have had many.  This property is located in Wedowee, Alabama. 

Another event that happened.  I had always intended to build the entire ICF wall myself, however, my Nudura rep wanted to have his men get some experience and he built about 2/3rd of it upon delivery.  One thing he did that (in my opinion) was absolutely wrong, was that on both side walls, (pictured) he actually had a butt joint going down the entire 10.5 foot height of the ICF wall.  (He is not a Nudura rep anymore by the way)  I handled that by screwing 2X12s to both sides of the ICF walls and did not have any blow outs on pour day.  I have not found any voids in the basement walls so far.

Do you think that I could pour on top of the existing cement pads, a thinset concrete and slope it away from the wall.  the area in front of the pads will be a cement driveway within six months.  Digging down to the foundation is not a financial option at this point.

Another option possible, is to trench inside the basement along that wall and give it a way to get back outside then build an interior wall sealing that area from the inside.  Have not looked into this option yet.

Thank you both for you time on these boards.

Bill

Bill
This is a poured concrete pad I assume? Is it on any kind of a footing or tied into the building? I'm wondering if you could pull it away from the building. (Around here, the use of lightweight fiberglass AC pads is very common.) Its not uncommon for the ground to settle next to the building - I started pouring a foundation for granite steps, but not until I learned by placing a granite step at my front door which, within a few years sloped toward the house. I reset it, but that turned out to be a temporary fix. I'll bolt something to the foundation to steady it, but you can't do that with an ICF foundation. If you can't move it, perhaps you can saw & chisel a channel next to the building to drain the water. Looking at the pictures, I'm assuming the water may be going over the top of the wall which would be a lot better case than coming in somewhere lower. Trenching in the basement will work - that is the common treatment for basement water - but would be better to keep it out entirely. My grandfather poured a sloping concrete apron around his house in the early 1900's to keep water out of the basement - it worked somewhat and is still there. The problem here is that you don't want to concrete over any of the siding; water will eventually get behind it & you'll be dealing with rotted walls & insects that love rotten wood.

Bob, it is indeed a poured pad, as is the other one that is now right next to it. The contractor that poured it put a piece of 8 inch rolled flashing behind each of these pads. I know for sure it wasn't done "right". Living and learning. I am hopeful that now that I have gutters, and if I can prevent the water from settling against the house, that that will cure my problem. Oh, also, tomorrow, I will run a ground pipe from the down pipe on the gutter system that comes down to the left of the a/c pad and run that down the hill to the right. The roof and the driveway area does indeed catch many gallons of rain. As you said, the last resort will be trenching inside.

Thanks again,

Bill

You might be able to get someone to mudjack the slab a bit higher along the wall so it slopes away. It would be better if the slab wasn't against the house though. I suppose you could use a concrete saw and cut off about 4" along the wall. But if the AC units are in that would be difficult.

If the pads are bearing on backfill, the situation will likely get worse as setlement occurs.

If you can't mudjack some slope into it, you could saw cut a kerf into the concrete close to the siding, insert a piece of metal flashing set in sealant to make a "dam" that would deflect the water to the side.

Bruce

Bill;

I agree that this is the possible problem, hind sight is 20-20 and I too have learned things the hard way ( and expensive) I would bet that either during back fill or settlement a rock(s) has pierced the membrane.

Unfortunately there is no quick fix, it will need to be re- excavated and repaired. a pea gravel backfill will provide excellent drainage and not damage the membrane

Thank you all for your replys. It is much appreciated.

Bill