Basement leak could be result of grading problems

Q. Our home is near Chicago. The basement is dry except when we receive more that 2 inches of rain in a day. Then a small amount of water comes in through a crack in the foundation. Outside is the patio so access to the outside wall is not easy. Pros want $700 to repair this. I want to know which if any of these products might be a do-it-yourself solution: Drylok, Xypex or Flex Seal Liquid Rubber Sealant. Thanks.

A. You didn't mention the type of foundation you have; is it poured concrete or concrete blocks?

If the foundation is made of poured concrete, how big is the crack? Is it a hairline crack (that would have occurred as the concrete cured) or is it a slightly wider crack (that may have taken place for other reasons: backfill done before the first floor was built or frost pressure)?

Hairline cracks can be ignored while larger cracks can be filled with Water Plug or epoxy.

If the foundation is made of concrete blocks, what is the geometry of the crack? If the crack is horizontal and three to five courses below grade, frost pressure is the most likely culprit. It may also show ladder cracks at each end. It is not always advisable to fill such cracks with mortar as these cracks may partially close up seasonally.

Whichever is the case, filling any crack may not take care of the leakage, but simply transfer it elsewhere. It does not eliminate the problem.

The fact that the leakage occurs only after a significant rainfall tells me there is some grading problem around your house. Check that the soil slopes gently away from the foundation around the entire perimeter. Ideally, the soil should be growing a healthy stand of grass instead of flower beds or bushes that have a tendency to hold moisture, especially if mulched.

If you have gutters and downspouts, make sure the rainwater is discharged onto splash blocks and the grade leads water away from the foundation.

If you do not have gutters, patio blocks should be embedded flush with the grade at the roof drip line to prevent erosion that creates small ditches and leads to deep water percolation.

You seem to indicate that the leakage is where the patio is. Assuming the patio is concrete, is it so flat or sloping toward the house that it allows excessive rainfall to run down the foundation? In that case, corrections are in order and may require a new topping of concrete, brick or flagstones to direct water away.

Any other appendages, such as walkways, driveways, stoops, etc., should be checked to make sure they do not allow water to pool or run toward the house. Deficiencies should be corrected.

The grade under porches and decks may have settled, leaving a hollow space lower than the surrounding grade. That should be corrected, if at all possible, by packing soil, not sand, to fill the hollow space.

If you are not sure you are able to find the deficiencies and correct them yourself, you may need the services of a very experienced landscape contractor with a sharp eye or the services of a certified home inspector or engineer experienced in these matters, which may not be so easy to find.

Q. I hope you can give me some advice on this. I have a brick paver patio finished with polymeric sand. This patio has a deck above it which comes off our second floor. Both the patio and deck receive very little sun. My problem is I deal with moss-covered bricks and sand for most of the summer. I can't use a pressure sprayer because of the sand.

I have tried a water and bleach mix that did not work. I called the installer and he suggested Behr mold and mildew remover. This worked OK but I lost a good bit of sand because you had to use a brush to get the green off. Any ideas you have would be greatly appreciated.

A. You should be able to remove the unwelcome moss by spraying Wet & Forget on the bricks and sand. You can get more information by checking its website: www.wetandforget.com.

Q. We live in a single-family home built in 2002. We have always had problems with vacuum cleaners tripping circuit breakers, regardless of whether the vacuums are old or new.

After several unsuccessful attempts to troubleshoot the vacuum cleaners, we had our electrician come and monitor the load on our 15-amp outlet circuits. He found the vacuum never exceeds 12 amps, yet the breakers tripped when the vacuum was started or restarted. He determined the problem was the outlets are wired with AFCI circuit breakers and the vacuum trips them when it is started.

The electrician indicated that current code requires AFCI breakers in all outlets except for those with GFI breakers such as bathrooms, kitchens and outdoor circuits. He was not inclined to replace any AFCI breakers.

We contacted a vacuum specialist in search of a machine that would not arc. He told us there is not a vacuum made that will not trip an AFCI breaker. He went on to say that AFCI breakers are required only in outlet circuits in sleeping areas and that we could have them replaced on circuits that supply hallways. Or we could run extension cords from our GFI-protected outlets.

We have since discovered the circuits that supply our sleeping areas also supply the contiguous hallways, so finding an isolated circuit to swap out will be a challenge, at least on the second floor.

I then contacted the city to see what the code requirements actually are. I was told that our city has no such code for single-family dwellings and that it is the state fire marshal's jurisdiction, anyway. Finally, the fire marshal's office said it only monitors rentals and multifamily dwellings and knew of no rule for single-family homes in Vermont.

So, here I am, wondering if you have any knowledge of A) such a problem with vacuum cleaners and AFCI breakers and B) whether we can swap out AFCI for regular breakers if we are able to find circuits that supply only hallways and common areas and not sleeping areas.

A. Your experience and research seem pretty conclusive. And I would not attempt to suggest you circumvent the electrical code, even though there may not be such requirements by your city. Unless you can find an electrician willing to make the needed changes for you, I have no other suggestion.

• Henri de Marne, a former remodeling contractor turned columnist and consultant, is the author of "About the House with Henri de Marne" (Upper Access Publishing). He continues to take questions from readers for this column and his website, www.henridemarne.com. Email questions to aboutthehouse@gmavt.net.