Old Computers and Moisture don't mix fairly OT 7
Just make sure the advice is expert. Any project like this can turn into a money pit when you keep trying things and they don't work.
Hello, I am in charge of raising the funds needed for a Pennsylvania Historic Roadside Marker that was approved this spring. This marker will be placed outside of the still standing building which...
The best bet is to find a civil engineer who specializes in concrete construction applications, perhaps at a nearby university. Concrete is a science all unto itself, especially the way it interacts with its environment.
Local arichetects may or may not understand these issues. Local contractors are a crapshoot.
When I was growing up a contractor had underbid everyone on a large Navy structure. He had decided he could save money by mixing on site using water from a nearby lake. So, he proceeded to pour this quite large foundation-slab. Due to impurities in the water, the concrete never set, it just formed a gelatinous goo. Thus, he ended up eating the cost to pump out and transport this muck offsite an then repour the foundation.
Whenever building anything important with concrete, it is essential to think of everything and know exactly what you're doing before you start, because the results will be "cast in cement."
Indeed, the same advice goes for any kind of construction project. Like computer applications, it's always better to do it right the first time than to do it over. It's just that some things are harder and more costly to do over, concrete among them.
Building codes are a minimum standard, often oriented more toward public safety than aesthetic quality, and are outdated in many areas where leaky basements, etc. were just considered a fact of life.
If you can improve the drainage, that may be sufficient, as Phil suggested. You may want to consult with an engineer before sealing the surface, as this may result in a waterlogged slab with water seeping up into unsealed areas rather than evaporating smoothly over the whole surface, creating another problem.
Tony' wrote, in part: Is there any way you see me using a combination of heavy duty plastic and the 10 litres of two pack I already have. That would not be the...
The bottom line is that you always want to keep water out of the concrete in the first place.
The main point of sealing the surface of concrete is to keep down dust, reduce abrasion and prevent stuff from soaking into the concrete from above, not to keep moisture from coming up from below.
In any case, good luck, and I hope you can remedy the problem without major rebuilding.