There is water that seeps in when it rains hard near a pipe where the city water comes in. I already tried to use quot;Great Stuffquot; around the pipe and it didn't work. Do I just put hydraulic cement in the area around the pipe area, or do I have to do the whole wall? (Can you tell I'm a new homeowner?)
Yes. you would use hydraulic cement for that problem. You may need to make the void around the pipe larger and deeper. Make sure to read the directions on the bucket. This would be only the first in a series of projects that you would need to do to limit the possibility of water leakage. You would also need to make sure that the yard is sloped away from the house for at least five feet and make sure the gutters are working properly and draining away from the house.
To answer the question with certainty a few details may be needed--- where the water line comes in how many feet below grade is it-- if close to grade then re-grading the property around the water pipe may solve the problem-- re-grading away from the house will cause the rainwater to flow away from the house wall--if it is say more than 4 feet below grade-- using hydraulic cement from the inside may be a temporary fix but the outside water pressure will force it out of the crack/hole after 1-2 years depending on how severe your cold/frost cycles are in your neck of the woods-- most water mains that I have seen come up through the floor of most homes--if you are certain the water line entry is leaking dig down from the outside to said water line and apply the cement-a rubber membrane- some tar product--like roofing material sealer and another rubber membrane-- best of luck--
Hydraulic cement is simply any portland based cement product that hardens when mixed with water. it is not necessarily waterproof just because it has the word hydraulic in its name. You should use an expanding waterproof epoxy grout for his purpose. It is available anywhere building products are sold. Follow container instructions. Work quickly. Most of these products harden in 10 or 15 minutes. As recommended by others here, make sure first that rainwater is being directed away from your foundation.
