Drylok or Killz for basement?

jgibv

I know there was a "home improvement" thread somewhere here ....

But I've searched and searched, and couldn't find what I wanted. The closest I came to finding an answer was jsnakes' "Basement Finishing" thread but it still didn't have what I was looking for .....


Anyways I've very found mixed messages online about Drylok --- some people say use it, it's great and will keep out moisture.
But others offer dire warnings that it should be avoided because it will trap moisture in the cinder block causing damage and premature wear/crumbling/cracking.
Also, the guy working at Lowe's recommended it, but Home Depot seemed hesitant on it and tried to steer us towards Killz.


So I'm a little puzzled at this point ....
And if any of you folks have expertise in this area, please keep reading -- I'll explain our situation ... and any advice you can offer as to whether or not we should use Drylok or Killz would be greatly appreciated.


Background info:
Ok, so this is our first spring living in our new house.
It was built in 1920, cinder block foundation, interior french drain, unfinished basement.
We have a sump pump and run a large dehumidifier.
The basement does not smell "wet or damp."

But in the past few weeks we've had a couple storms roll through, dropping a significant amount of rain in a fairly short amount of time. And after the rain, we notice a trickle of water running along the floor in 2 spots on 2 different walls. There's no obvious cracks, leaks, etc. in the cinder block and the water does not appear to be coming in from higher up on the walls and dripping down. And there's no signs of water coming up through the floor so I assume the water is leeching in at the base of the walls where they meet the floor.
Also, the basement walls are currently painted white with what I assume is either Killz or possibly Drylok. If the walls already have Drylok on them, it's possible the water's coming in from higher up, but working it's way down behind the Drylok and coming out where the Drylok stops, at the floor...
Lastly, we've noticed some small mildew/dark spots starting to form near the sump pump which is next to one of the "leaky" walls.
(We'll be cleaning this area with a bleach or vinegar solution soon...just need to figure out what will work best.)


Anywho, we'll be painting the rest of the house in the next couple weeks, and once we finish everything upstairs, I want to (clean and) paint the basement walls to give it a brighter/cleaner look, kill any mildew/etc. that's starting to form, and *try* to stop the water from coming in.
So, all things considered --- do you think I should use Drylok or Killz. It seems they're about the same thing, but Drylok keeps the water from coming through ... I'm leaning towards Drylok because it's advertised to "keep water out"
... but after reading some things online, people have said that Drylok traps the water inside the walls and I'm now worried that our foundation block could be messed up if this happens.
I really don't want to scrape any of the old paint off .... so if there is already Drylok there, I guess another coat won't hurt, right?

I know, I know ..... I'm just "covering up" the problem and making it look better from the inside, which is fine because it's an unfinished basement, not a top-dollar home theater room or kid's playroom, etc. ---- there's laundry, storage, beer fridge, chest freezer, and an extra bathroom. That's about all that's down there.
If we ever finish it - I know the water problem will have to be addressed from the exterior and we'll probably have to dig outside around the foundation. But for the time being, I'd like to just put a coat of "paint" on the walls, make it look a little nicer, kill any mildew, and help keep the water "out".

So, what do you think:
Drylok or Killz?

beatnic

If the basement's cinder walls are not sealed on the outside, not much you can do. You definitely don't want to trap the moisture in the cider walls. Mike Holmes would excavate the outside and seal it first. Then he would seal the inside. I'm thinking you don't want to go there. Paint it, use Killz and make sure the sump pump works. Just my take. Ventilate for any air moisture.

Roberto99

There are things you can do to take care of the problem in a permanent fashion since you have the french drain but if you are bent on having a short term solution just paint it or use Kilz. I used drylock and even with that got mold in my basement. Just be really careful with the mold and don't wait too long to fix it right.

jgibv

Thanks for the suggestions, Robert and Rick ....

Got a few other projects to get done first ... so I didn't want to do much more than clean the walls and paint at this point in time. I'm also going to have the gutters cleaned and downspouts checked for any blockage/cracks within the next week or two in case that's part of the problem.

And I know that would be the 100% best way to do it, Rick --- but unfortunately I don't have a "Mike Holmes" budget for this project right now, we're saving money to replace/update the windows this summer and also going to re-do the shower in the upstairs bathroom.

So .... I want to find a more "permanent" solution within the next year, but it probably won't be until next fall/winter when we have a little more $$ and the ground's drier too.


Robert --- what are the other things that you're referring to?
Any advice on a "permanent solution" would be greatly appreciated.



And yes, mold's a big concern, I know it can get bad --- we found it in my mom's basement when I was growing up, lots of $$ and time to get everything remedied. The basement was finished so had to tear everything back to the studs. I'm no expert on "mold" but I believe it's just some mildew at this point, I've seen it in the basement of family member's houses too ---- no big plumes, black mold, etc. --- just some small brown spots on the wall near the sump pump. But regardless of what it is, I'll be keeping a close eye on it.

Roberto99

Google Beaver System. You can DIY. It is a base board type product that has a water channel. This channel is connected to a drain and sump pump. If you put thick plastic sheeting on the walls and tuck it into the beaver system at the bottom of the wall any water or condensation that makes it through the wall will drain into the sump (you can use a 2x4's at the top to fasten to the wall) Then cover the plastic with treated 2x4's (dont nail to the wall) and green board sheetrock or whatever you want that is mold resistant.

So this system is significantly less expensive than digging up and waterproofing from the outside. I think I even saw Holmes using some kind of hard plastic stuff like Schluter-Ditra on the outside of a basement. That would be best of course but it makes me wonder if there is a working drain on the outside since there already is a french drain on the inside.

MVW67

Use Kilz, for now, what does the exterior look like? Can you bring in dirt and slope away from house this summer? See that you are looking at the drains, which is smart. Mold is more susceptible in wood and paper, in masonry more of an efflorescence problem, but mold does happen. If the walls are secure as you say, then your guess is probably correct, leaking at interface between concrete and masonry. Which is a tough fix, unless you can landscape away from house.
A lot of water this year and as I type this I look out my front window and see the neighbor across the street pumping water from his basement.....that sucks....

jgibv

Thanks Robert --- will read up on Beaver system this weekend. If we ever finish the basement that sounds like it might be a good solution.

And Mike --- we "could" landscape on one side, but don't know how much it would help .... will try to snap a couple pics for reference. To give you better idea of what I'm working with.

MVW67

Yes, enquiry minds want to know! :-)

jgibv

Ok....

CLICK here for an album with a "map" and a few annotated pics of the problem areas.
Hope it makes sense, let me know what you think. Thanks!

Lee.mcglynn

MVW67:

Use Kilz, for now, what does the exterior look like? Can you bring in dirt and slope away from house this summer? See that you are looking at the drains, which is smart. Mold is more susceptible in wood and paper, in masonry more of an efflorescence problem, but mold does happen. If the walls are secure as you say, then your guess is probably correct, leaking at interface between concrete and masonry. Which is a tough fix, unless you can landscape away from house.
A lot of water this year and as I type this I look out my front window and see the neighbor across the street pumping water from his basement.....that sucks....

+1 also buy a good dehumidifier!!

jgibv

MVW67:

what does the exterior look like?

CLICK here for pics

MVW67:

Which is a tough fix, unless you can landscape away from house.

Check out the pics and LMK what you think...
Could we .... probably maybe I guess so if we absolutely had to...would look pretty weird though and not sure what we'd do around the door

So would that be my first choice? Not really.
But if that's the "easiest" long term solution, I might look into it. Need to have father-in-law visit and look at it, see what he thinks too.

MVW67:

A lot of water this year and as I type this I look out my front window and see the neighbor across the street pumping water from his basement.....that sucks....

DANG! That does suck, guess things could be worse....

Lee.mcglynn:

+1 also buy a good dehumidifier!!

That was the first thing we did after we moved in, got 1 size down from the largest model Home Depot had in stock.
Keep it set on 45, 2-hr cycle on/off. Don't have a hose hooked up to the drain yet so I have to empty it about every 1-3 days depending on the weather.