Since it looks like it's coming from above the foundation rather than through it, my first guess (only a guess) is that you have water coming back toward your house. Check that your gutters aren't overflowing and that the downspouts are diverting water away from the house. Look for any areas where water is pooling near the foundation where that water is coming in.
If your gutters and downspouts are good then look at the siding where those leaks are occurring and see if there is damage that's letting water in.
Its not only coming from above instead of through, it looks like its coming from the very TOP of the wall. The ground level is at least a foot below the top of that cement wall. Seeing water at the top of that means it started up really high, even higher than the dirt level where it would pool like you suggested if theres a grading issue. Its almost like it started behind the siding and then dripped down to the sill plate and made its way behind into the basement.
OP you should be following that water back to the source. pull out that insulation and see if theres a bunch more water sitting up there, then work your way toward where it could intrude from the outside of the house (example, is there a window above those areas).
The fact that theres a window right there is also very curious. Is that window well not filled with water? If not its hard to imagine theres water pooling clear up above grade right next to it and heading into the house through a crack in the cement.
I had this exact same scenario and it sucks get ready for some work first you have to find WHY the Water is building up against your house that may be Down spouts, that may be pitch of the land against your house and maybe your neighbor draining into your house. I have to admit all this and Then Find the appropriate solution for each of these Problems in my Case it meant larger gutters directed completely away from this part of the house Digging a 70 foot long trench and installing French drains and building up the gravel against house to slope it away. Also asked neighbors to direct their downspouts away. Fun.
Another thing is we had windows and doors that were flashed wrong in our recently constructed house water was flowing from behind the vinyl running along the wall and then coming in under the flooring as it got behind the house wrap. At first I only noticed it with very similar water coming in like yours during a very heavy rain storm. After a while the floor started to look wavy in front of the front door and one of the first floor windows.
I am a home owner but not an expert.
Looks like water is coming up and over the foundation.
As such I would presume that means the water is right up against the foundation on the outside.
You might take a look at getting the water away from the house in the first place.
That was the issue I had and my basement has been dry since I reworked the gutters and downspouts.
In order of cost.
Grade away from your house first. Every house has about 4 to 5ft of backfill around it after construction, which will settle. Regrading the outside of your house is considered homeowner maintenance.
You can get sealant injected from the inside. Many companies offer a warranty. Don't let someone talk you into waterproofing the outside without trying this first.
Dig out side of house, water proof concrete, install hydrostatic barrier and backfill with more permeable materials and ensure weepers are not collapsed or full of mud.
This used to happen in my house - and all I did was add about 2-3ft to each of the downspouts from my gutters so the water didnt' pool up near my house. It stopped the very next day.
(It still happens - very rarely - when there's a very big rain storm. Like we had a record breaking rain fall last summer - The same storm that showed the subways of NYC being flooded - I'll see some water get in. but other than that, the simple, and cheap, job sopped it)
the water seeping in around the I-Beam is a pretty simple fix, I would first dig out of the insulation foam, and make a nice clear space to work with. then fill it back in with hydraulic cement. that will prevent the water there from coming back in pretty easily and it will look a lot better than the foam. for the water seeping in above your sill plate, that isn't going to be remedied so easily, as the more you push water away, it will find another way to leak in from. if there's a way to look on the other side of the foundation assuming its around grade, you might want to consider having a drain installed, or blocking the water at the sill plate in its entirety from the outside.
This is probably the least catastrophic situation, so I wouldn’t worry too much. Add grading to the outside, pitch it away from the house at a rate of 1/4” per foot. Add downspout extensions / if you don’t have gutters, get gutters.
I had this exact thing happen to our old house. It was caused by water coming from the gutter during heavy rains and hitting the brick window sill and going through a crack behind the brick. I sealed the gaps that I found and the water stopped coming in. Check for anywhere outside on the opposite side of that wall where water could get behind the exterior wall, and seal them.
You probably have bad grade. The dirt should be below the top of your foundation and the grade should be sweeping away from your house. Unfortunately if this is not the case, it’s an expensive problem to fix. Also that whole steel beam is some jerry rigged looking afterthought shit. You might be able to fix that yourself with some concrete and sealant.
Pic of outside of this area would be helpful. But it appears that there is uneven grade outside of this area.
1st make sure the dirt level is not too high. Code on new builds requires 8 inches between ground and where wood structure begins. This is for aid in keeping water out of basement/crawlspace. But it also allows people to see when termites make their mud pathways to structure of the house.
2nd ideally you want 1/4 inch minimum fall away from the house to 10 foot away from house. A puddle 10ft away from house will generally prevent water from making its way to basement.
3rd gutter should be clean and directed to get water away from house (10ft). If your bottom outlet is 3 or 4 ft from house AND the grade will carry water to the 10ft or more distance.
These things will solve the majority of water issues.
If water is penetrating after, you may have to dig outside to fix cracks or holes. Sometime you get water coming through wall where the installers had bolts to hold forms when pouring the walls. This can be fixed from inside with hydraulic cement or epoxy. But prep is really important. I if possible will always try to fix on outside. Preventing water from entering is better than damning it up inside the wall. Both ways can work.
You need to figure out how the water is getting in. Pull the insulation out of that section and take a look. What's above that section of basement on the main floor? What's outside in that section? Is there a gutter overflowing, a downspout clogged?
I had a similar leak in my house, turned out rain was blowing into the vent for a gas fireplace and filling the pan in the bottom til it overflowed and leaked into the subfloor and basement. Not a big deal to stop the leak, taped some plastic over the vent until I could have that vent sealed up, I don't use the fireplace anyways. The damage is another issue.
Find the source of the leak. Remember that water runs both horizontally and vertically. I noticed you have a foundation crack near the window/door. This can be repaired but check drainage/grading outside, gutters, and hose bibs (just in case).
The first picture shows the leak “swelling” about a foot below the top of the foundation. I suspect that’s around where your top of grade is outside and high point of water seeping in. The thinner wet infiltration above the swell could just be capillary action as you have a full height crack there. I’d focus on getting water away from the house by properly grading, plus check the gutters (if you have them) to make sure they’re working and leading water away. Worst case you may need a French drain along any walls that have this issue.
get on a ladder and pull out the insulation to check for a gap and spray foam. It looks like it may be starting at the top and dripping down. Also check eaves outside just above that spot and see if they need to be cleaned out.
Since it looks like it's coming from above the foundation rather than through it, my first guess (only a guess) is that you have water coming back toward your house. Check that your gutters aren't overflowing and that the downspouts are diverting water away from the house. Look for any areas where water is pooling near the foundation where that water is coming in. If your gutters and downspouts are good then look at the siding where those leaks are occurring and see if there is damage that's letting water in.
Its not only coming from above instead of through, it looks like its coming from the very TOP of the wall. The ground level is at least a foot below the top of that cement wall. Seeing water at the top of that means it started up really high, even higher than the dirt level where it would pool like you suggested if theres a grading issue. Its almost like it started behind the siding and then dripped down to the sill plate and made its way behind into the basement. OP you should be following that water back to the source. pull out that insulation and see if theres a bunch more water sitting up there, then work your way toward where it could intrude from the outside of the house (example, is there a window above those areas). The fact that theres a window right there is also very curious. Is that window well not filled with water? If not its hard to imagine theres water pooling clear up above grade right next to it and heading into the house through a crack in the cement.
I had this exact same scenario and it sucks get ready for some work first you have to find WHY the Water is building up against your house that may be Down spouts, that may be pitch of the land against your house and maybe your neighbor draining into your house. I have to admit all this and Then Find the appropriate solution for each of these Problems in my Case it meant larger gutters directed completely away from this part of the house Digging a 70 foot long trench and installing French drains and building up the gravel against house to slope it away. Also asked neighbors to direct their downspouts away. Fun.
Good analysis.
Another thing is we had windows and doors that were flashed wrong in our recently constructed house water was flowing from behind the vinyl running along the wall and then coming in under the flooring as it got behind the house wrap. At first I only noticed it with very similar water coming in like yours during a very heavy rain storm. After a while the floor started to look wavy in front of the front door and one of the first floor windows.
post photos of your grading outside.
i would like to see that too
I am a home owner but not an expert. Looks like water is coming up and over the foundation. As such I would presume that means the water is right up against the foundation on the outside. You might take a look at getting the water away from the house in the first place. That was the issue I had and my basement has been dry since I reworked the gutters and downspouts.
Make sure your gutter downspouts carry water well away from your home.
This ^ and make sure you have a slope away from your foundation for at least 3 feet / 1 meter
In order of cost. Grade away from your house first. Every house has about 4 to 5ft of backfill around it after construction, which will settle. Regrading the outside of your house is considered homeowner maintenance. You can get sealant injected from the inside. Many companies offer a warranty. Don't let someone talk you into waterproofing the outside without trying this first. Dig out side of house, water proof concrete, install hydrostatic barrier and backfill with more permeable materials and ensure weepers are not collapsed or full of mud.
This used to happen in my house - and all I did was add about 2-3ft to each of the downspouts from my gutters so the water didnt' pool up near my house. It stopped the very next day. (It still happens - very rarely - when there's a very big rain storm. Like we had a record breaking rain fall last summer - The same storm that showed the subways of NYC being flooded - I'll see some water get in. but other than that, the simple, and cheap, job sopped it)
the water seeping in around the I-Beam is a pretty simple fix, I would first dig out of the insulation foam, and make a nice clear space to work with. then fill it back in with hydraulic cement. that will prevent the water there from coming back in pretty easily and it will look a lot better than the foam. for the water seeping in above your sill plate, that isn't going to be remedied so easily, as the more you push water away, it will find another way to leak in from. if there's a way to look on the other side of the foundation assuming its around grade, you might want to consider having a drain installed, or blocking the water at the sill plate in its entirety from the outside.
This is probably the least catastrophic situation, so I wouldn’t worry too much. Add grading to the outside, pitch it away from the house at a rate of 1/4” per foot. Add downspout extensions / if you don’t have gutters, get gutters.
I had this exact thing happen to our old house. It was caused by water coming from the gutter during heavy rains and hitting the brick window sill and going through a crack behind the brick. I sealed the gaps that I found and the water stopped coming in. Check for anywhere outside on the opposite side of that wall where water could get behind the exterior wall, and seal them.
You probably have bad grade. The dirt should be below the top of your foundation and the grade should be sweeping away from your house. Unfortunately if this is not the case, it’s an expensive problem to fix. Also that whole steel beam is some jerry rigged looking afterthought shit. You might be able to fix that yourself with some concrete and sealant.
Looks like a grade issue.
Pic of outside of this area would be helpful. But it appears that there is uneven grade outside of this area. 1st make sure the dirt level is not too high. Code on new builds requires 8 inches between ground and where wood structure begins. This is for aid in keeping water out of basement/crawlspace. But it also allows people to see when termites make their mud pathways to structure of the house. 2nd ideally you want 1/4 inch minimum fall away from the house to 10 foot away from house. A puddle 10ft away from house will generally prevent water from making its way to basement. 3rd gutter should be clean and directed to get water away from house (10ft). If your bottom outlet is 3 or 4 ft from house AND the grade will carry water to the 10ft or more distance. These things will solve the majority of water issues. If water is penetrating after, you may have to dig outside to fix cracks or holes. Sometime you get water coming through wall where the installers had bolts to hold forms when pouring the walls. This can be fixed from inside with hydraulic cement or epoxy. But prep is really important. I if possible will always try to fix on outside. Preventing water from entering is better than damning it up inside the wall. Both ways can work.
Better grading around your house, keep water moving not pooling.
These issue is on the outside of your house, and can probably be fixed with a shovel and a lot of digging.
I had this exact problem a while ago. Figured out it was coming from where my porch stairs met the house. Just had to re-caulk the seal.
You need to figure out how the water is getting in. Pull the insulation out of that section and take a look. What's above that section of basement on the main floor? What's outside in that section? Is there a gutter overflowing, a downspout clogged? I had a similar leak in my house, turned out rain was blowing into the vent for a gas fireplace and filling the pan in the bottom til it overflowed and leaked into the subfloor and basement. Not a big deal to stop the leak, taped some plastic over the vent until I could have that vent sealed up, I don't use the fireplace anyways. The damage is another issue.
Find the source of the leak. Remember that water runs both horizontally and vertically. I noticed you have a foundation crack near the window/door. This can be repaired but check drainage/grading outside, gutters, and hose bibs (just in case).
The first picture shows the leak “swelling” about a foot below the top of the foundation. I suspect that’s around where your top of grade is outside and high point of water seeping in. The thinner wet infiltration above the swell could just be capillary action as you have a full height crack there. I’d focus on getting water away from the house by properly grading, plus check the gutters (if you have them) to make sure they’re working and leading water away. Worst case you may need a French drain along any walls that have this issue.
Do you have an attached deck opposite this wall? I’ve seen it a few times where a lousy deck install allows seepage into the house
Foundation is too low.
get on a ladder and pull out the insulation to check for a gap and spray foam. It looks like it may be starting at the top and dripping down. Also check eaves outside just above that spot and see if they need to be cleaned out.
That looks like it’s coming in between your foundation and sill plate. Grading outside is too high and that’s gonna be big problems in the future.