workpit built but waterproofing failing

JMSE

I posted a while back about building a workpit into my new garage. Being below the water table I was looking for suggestions into how to protect it and eventually went for a pond liner. The pit is built a week. I've removed the pump from the sump outside the plastic jacket and backfilled the outer spaces. This is the problem.

After only 24 hours of not draining outside the hole the water quickly rose 1 or 2 foot to the top of what I had backfilled. Next thing I notice there is a damp spot after appearing on one the inside walls at the bottom. Not good because there should be no water on the inside of the liner.

So, I dug the sump hole back out in a hurry, stuck the pump back in and its keeping the water table lower than the floor of the pit for now to give me time.

Are there any suggestions out there as to what I can do to the inner walls of the pit, bitumen, tar, anything? And where to get it so I can do it myself.

hobie

In the U.S. millions of sump pumps are sold every year ..... they are on permanent standby to drain sumps like the one you created and simply pump away water to prevent flooding of house basements etc .....

I wonder if you may have to consider the pump/sump a permanent fixture ....

I can't think of an effective way to evercome the leaking liner other than the above ....

CJhaughey

I can't think of anything that would stick to wet concrete well enough to prevent water entering the well.
if the inside of the pit is wet and this is probably the driest spell for this time of the year on record, then I would be highly dubious that the situation will improve in the winter.
there is probably a puncture in the liner and water being the great levelling agent that it is will find it's own way in.
I would second hobie that a permanently fitted sump pump will probably be your only way forward now.

JMSE

Yeah a sump and pump is the best option, I just havent designed a permanent one into the build, it'll take more work to make it happen, and the less work --- the better.

Anyway, the inside of the walls arent wet at all, a wet spot the size of one block developed very quickly but I halted it and its drying out again thanks to the pump keeping the water down so I do have the chance to apply something to the dry inside walls

narommy

wet all the walls and then paint them with black waterprofing rubber. it might work. wetting the walls spreads the paint better