We have had a long term seepage problem in the basement right below where the front porch is (our model has an all-brick front with no roof overhanging the porch. I don’t know if this is why we have this problem). This is the ONLY part of the basement where there is a problem. The house is 32 years old and we are the original owners. It's not coming up from the floor, but from the where the foundation meets the floor.

The basement is finished with wood studs, drywall, and carpeted wall-to-wall; and has been for perhaps 25 years. In the past after heavy rains, we’ve aimed a big fan at the carpet at the base of the wall and run the dehumidifier on high. There have been no water stains on the wall until a heavy rain a few months ago (5" in a day or so), when one showed up a few inches above the floor.

The sump pump works fine. We have an alarm on it plus a battery back-up system, so we would know if it was not working. The sump pump empties into a small ditch next to the house. It is illegal to tie into the storm sewer system (I read recently in local news that the law had changed but have not checked into it yet).

Yes, I know it’s a potential mold problem. Luckily no allergies here but still not desirable.

But with the torrential rains of the past few years in the midwest, the problem is getting more serious.

We have decided we have to pull out the carpeting in this area in a certain radius (using some form of edging to secure the cut edges) and then maybe use a shop vac to suck up the water when it rains. The wall is finished too: though this gets rid of the wet carpet it does nothing for the wet wall.

I’d like to know if anyone else has had this problem and if so, how they solved it. I am very skeptical of waterproofing companies. Thanks!