The entry point for most water entering basements is where the wall and floor meet. This point, and any other seam between two pieces of concrete, is typically called a cold joint. Although this cold joint is very small, it is more than large enough to allow water to enter.

Water does not normally just fall off your roof and run into your basement. A rising water table and ground water moving through soil layers combine to produce tremendous pressure against your home's foundation and cold joints. This pressure forces water into the home and often damages the structure. Block wall foundations are most vulnerable to damage, and water actually rises inside the hollow blocks to the same level as the soil!