In a nutshell this system is installed beneath a basement floor to collect ground water and pump it out before it gets high enough to push up through basement floor cracks and or the cove joint.
Moisture coming through cracks in basement floor.
Attempting to seal the cove joint or floor cracks is not a recommended repair strategy for situations where water is seeping in from beneath the floor.
For this reason sumps should have an airtight cover.
Exterior grade caulk will do.
It may not feel lucky to enter your basement and find a patch of water on the floor but it s better than having a subtle slow leak that degrades over time.
To seal up these cracks use a concrete patching compound available from hardware and home improvement stores.
If the basement drains don t allow for an overly high water table you may have water seeping through the concrete walls and floor.
Ignoring cracks in your concrete floor even those as small as 1 8 inch wide is like inviting water into your home.
The water table is higher during rainy periods and lower during dry spells.
While floor cracks typically do not pose a problem for the structural integrity of a home it is still important for them to be properly filled and sealed so that moisture can t seep inside and cause problems.
Air leakage through walls and floor air leakage through walls and floor.
You should also seal the supporting joints.
If you don t provide adequate concrete pressure relief the concrete floor may crack or even buckle.
Experienced flooring contractors will include expansion and supporting joints.
In most houses a stack effect is created because warm air rises.
This induces a negative pressure on the basement and draws moist air in through any cracks or openings in the foundation including open sump pits.
It s also possible that there are cracks along the basement or garage floor.
Hire a professional concrete contractor to spot the cracks and to seal them to prevent water from coming up through.