Vent: My basement shelter flooded 3 inches deep after a 2 day storm last spring

I built this bomb shelter back in 2018 under my garage, thought I sealed everything up good. But last April we got 8 inches of rain over 48 hours and water just seeped through a crack I missed near the foundation wall. Took me a whole weekend with a shop vac and a dehumidifier to dry it out, then another 3 days patching with hydraulic cement. Has anyone else dealt with surprise water in their bunker after heavy rain? What did you use to stop it for good?

3 comments

3 Comments

michaelgrant20d ago

My buddy's shelter took on about 4 inches after a hurricane came through last year, same kind of seepage along the wall seam. He ended up digging a trench around the outside and laying down a heavy rubber membrane with drain tile before backfilling, and it's been bone dry through two more big storms. Have you looked into an external drainage system like that, or are you just patching from the inside?

shane_park9220d ago

Right, because nothing says "storm prep" like digging a moat around your house. Might as well stock it with alligators and charge admission. Your buddy basically built a waterproof bunker under his house, which is great if you're planning for the apocalypse or a really aggressive sprinkler system. I'm sure the bentonite clay works wonders too until it turns into a giant mud pie and slides off your foundation. Next thing you know, you'll be recommending he caulk the whole thing with Flex Seal and call it a day.

lewis.mila21d ago

Oh wow, that sounds like a nightmare. I actually heard about someone using a bentonite clay sealant around their foundation after trying the cement first and it didn't hold for them either. Might be worth looking into if the hydraulic cement ever fails on you again.