Here’s the deal: my dad built a basement (ok, when he started it, it was a “bomb shelter”) out of cinderblock; it has a concrete floor, electricity, air vents, but no plumbing. It had an exterior door, and the top was our patio. Later he added onto the house to completely cover the basement; the patio became the den, and the exterior door is now inside the house. The problem is, that basement has always leaked when it rains. I’m talking several inches covering the floor. All attempts to stop that have failed, including adding concrete sidewalks that slope away from the house completely around the house. We are now faced with selling the house, and we can’t risk another failed attempt at fixing this 50 year old problem. We want to fill it in. Can it be done? Can we have sand “blown” in? Is there any need to “tamp”, since there is a stable slab already over the top? We plan to hire an engineer, but any hints about what direction we should take are welcome. Thanks!
mbrent from San Antonio
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