Leaking cellar

Hopingforthesimplelife

Hi all,

In very heavy rain, our cellar leaks (literally water pours in through the gaps, please see photo below, there are approx 6 or 7 areas like this). This means lots of water gathers on our floor very quickly.

Could anyone suggest any potential fixes? I have recently brought a lime mortar mix could this simply be applied? It doesn’t need to look great we only use the area for storage (above floor!) so only need it for practical measures I.e to stop the water.

It only seems to be a problem in very heavy rain - for context this is a below ground cellar in a building approx 150 years old. If it makes a difference the down pipe from our roof guttering is outside this section of the wall (but above ground).

many thanks for any views/help. 

Hopingforthesimplelife

Just a quick update on this for anyone that has similar issues;

I put the hosepipe down the outside drain when it was otherwise dry outside and within 2-3 minutes noticed water dripping into the cellar so fairly sure it is a blocked or collapsed drain that gets all our gutters water.

have dyno rod & drain doctor coming out later to quote.

as an aside, the amount of water coming in has compromised a fair amount of the internal pointing, presumably I will need to get this repointed as well?

FreeBear

I was going to suggest a drain problem when I saw your post...

The brickwork will certainly benefit from repointing. I'm guessing this is an old property (Victorian or earlier ?), in which case, use a lime mortar, not cement. Repointing is something you can do yourself...

Rake out the old mortar to a depth of 25-50mm.

Spray the hole & bricks with water - Not too much, you just need to get the area damp, not dripping wet.

Mix some fresh mortar (three parts sharp sand to one part fresh NHL3.5 lime) - Just mix a small bucket.

With a finger trowel & stick, fill the gap with your mortar, packing it in well.

Clear up the mess. Job done.

Hopingforthesimplelife

Thanks Freebear, hopefully it is just blocked not collapsed, from what I can gather the price difference is x10 

on the repointing, I have a bucket of lime mortar premade up- any views on whether this will work in a cellar environment? Exact product is https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B00DM4S2XI/ref=yo_ii_img?ie=UTF8&psc=1

FreeBear

The advantage of NHL lime is that it sets even when damp. Lime putty based mortars don't harden if kept damp/moist. A cellar wall, by it's very nature, is damp to varying degrees, so a putty based mortar may not harden fully.

If you want pre-mixed, this would probably do the job - https://www.lincolnshirelime.co.uk/lime-green-chalk-coloured-natural-hydraulic-lime-mortar-nhl-35-25kg-159-p.asp

Hopingforthesimplelife

Thanks Freebear, makes total sense and appreciate the link to the above product