Reply to waterproof outside or sump pump/french drain inside?

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[quote=Anonymous]I'm confused on what the best strategy is here. We have a 1940s brick home with a concrete cinder block foundation (and a concrete filled footer). We have some water in our walls that has been building over time, as told by moisture meters and air tests showing mold.

We are hearing two different stories from the water/drainage companies. Some suggest that we dig around the house and re-seal the foundation which will prevent surface water from coming through the foundation cracks. These people say that treating the outside is treating the source of the problem and that we would still be allowing water inside our home with a french drain system (which is true). Then others tell us it would be smarter to treat from the inside, by doing a combination french drain + sump pump. They say that the inside treatment will work forever, whereas the outside waterproofing can still fail since they cannot truly seal beneath our footer. Plus when the water table rises and drains potentially back up, the sitting water might come up in ways that waterproofing the outdoor foundation can't handle.

We are in the process of getting quotes so I don't have a price estimate just yet to compare, but since this is our family home and we do want to hang out in the basement, I'm interested in doing this right (without doing both inside and outside). Any advice?[/quote]

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