Backyard flooding garage

[crrcoal]

Hi folks. Need some advice on how to deal with backyard flooding that is affecting my garage. First some background. We bought the house back in 92. Cleared the land and built garage a couple of years later. My lot is roughly 89’ wide and 320’ deep and slopes down from street to back. In 2010 we were flooded out. Had approximately 24” of water in the garage and water went from back all the way to the street in front. The whole county was under water it seemed like. Engineers and township all said it was a 100year event. Been dry ever since up until recently. Looks like a repeat of 2010 is taking shape.

I guess my options are; either lift garage or tear it down. I don’t know how grading could be done. Can’t attach pictures until I have 5 posts.

 

[BillK]

Where is the water coming from ? Is there a stream behind you ? Where are you located ? Make a few more replies to this post so you can put up some pictures.

 

[crrcoal]

Im in NJ. Township said there was a “stream” or something on the maps they have but its not like you walk back there and see a creek or what not. Its always been dry or damp.

 

[crrcoal]

There used to be a farm next to our development which was pretty much level with us. When the farm was sold to a developer back in 08 or so, the built the damn property up several feet and built a adult community there. In 2010 the whole county experienced severe flooding issues to include us. The former farm has a huge berm and we believe that acts like a dam and water has no where to go now. Of course the township engineer disagreed.

 

[crrcoal]

We pumped water for several weeks. Township found that the drainage in the development was antiquated and collapsed in several areas. They put a whole new system in and we had been fine since. Until now.

 

[crrcoal]

Hopefully this makes post number 5.

 

[crrcoal]

Lets try some pictures

 

[Bruce 993 SEA]

More than a few "garage lifting" threads on this forum.

I think if you go through the threads, you will find out enough on how to raise the garage. It is time consuming but not technically too challenging. Considering that you are raising an entire building, it is a pretty cool way to solve the issue.

 

[66Caprice]

How about lifting the building then running a few more courses of block on the walls then pour a new floor inside. Also install a raised drive up to the new floor highth with a gutter across in front of the door and connect that to a sump to pump it out into the yard.

 

[garagelogician]

I see you found the Wet Garage Raise thread, good info in there.

Not much to do here except bring in a bunch of fill and either lift it or rebuild it. Is your house dry? Make sure you have positive drainage away from the house and garage and make sure the garage pad is at least as high as your house.

 

[Bretny]

Dont try to fight the water. Let it go to the lowest point it has acess to. In this case it looks like your garage is it. Can you dig a swale to let it be on it way?

 

[Dick in Wisconsin]

I don't have much to add other that I think you've gotten good advice from the other posters.

The pictures of the water are depressing, but you know that already. If you got that once every five to ten years, I think that would be bad enough. But it sounds like you've been having trouble more often. If you have water there often, the future of those trees might be jeopardy … which would upset me.

Do your neighbors have a similar problem? If so, I think you and our neighbors should band together and pressure the town for a better resolution. New Jersey isn't an unsophisticated state. There should be state laws surrounding land development, platting land, creating planned unit developments, etc. that requires the municipality to take into account surface runoff mitigation.

If the municipality dropped the ball or screwed up when approving the development next door, I don't know what your remedy is. If things weren't done correctly, maybe the township might be responsible for paying to have the shop raised and a new concrete floor raised along with a raised driveway back to the shop.

If the neighbors are impacted, consider banding together and seeking legal advice from an experience real estate attorney. Some attorneys don't like to take on city hall, others relish the idea of holding municipalities accountable.

Good luck with it. Keep us posted.

 

[Turbo]

I think the point you all have missed is even if he raises the garage 5 blocks high , the slab and everything sitting on it is still under water based on op's pictures. I'm wondering , if you knew the property was lower where you built the garage, why didnt you raise the whole building slab and all by adding fill to raise the grade? Did you have a permit? Any engineering done? Seems to me if you see a stream of some sort on a map , you would have had to get special permission to build in a flood plain. Also, if the old folks home was built after your home was built, and you are now having flooding issues, i would get together with my neighbors and have a talk with your local officials about this. Terry

 

[crrcoal]

Yep permits were done way back in the early 90s.

Neighbors are impacted too. Also directly behind be is a storage facility. Where their property butts up to mine and the neighbors is a basin they put in. Its damn near to capacity. And back in 2010 it overflowed. Ive contacted the township to see about having the basin drained. Back in 2010 the township engineer was adamant that the new development had noting to do with this. Of course he is going to say that. But they did come in and repair the drain system and we were fine since then up to now.

As far as garage my thoughts were raise it maybe 3-4-5 courses but also pour a new floor. Would then have to add fill around the garage to build it up a bit.

As far as pitching the water someplace. Good question. Don’t know how that could be accomplished. No place to pitch it to. A couple years back it was suggested maybe a small basin filled with sand behind the garage would help but I really don’t know how it would.


Sent from my iPhone using The Garage Journal mobile app

 

[crrcoal]

Couple more pics from last night. Today looks like starting to recede. Im wondering if more feasible to pour a new higher pad in front of current and move garage onto it? Or is it better to just jack garage up and add new course and floor on top of existing? Did not get a warm fuzzy watching a couple videos online about raising floor.

1st pic self explanatory. 2nd pic looking at neighbors. 3rd pic looking toward front of property. You can see how gradually slopes down from street. Can also see that new development of to the left.

 

[crrcoal]

No water in garage yet. Water is starting to recede. However heavy rains forecasted Thursday night into Friday. I think that will push over the edge. I did get everything off the floor and put up high so now worries about that this time around.


Sent from my iPhone using The Garage Journal mobile app

 

[garagelogician]

I doubt the neighboring development had anything to do with it. It just looks like this was built in a hole.

I recently designed a wall in NJ near the Passaic River. They had a bust in their topo, so it turned out that a portion of the area they were filling was in the 100-year flood plain. The State made them put in underground storage chambers to make up for any loss of flood-storage volume...at a cost of several million dollars and a significant delay to their construction timeline. They don't mess around when it comes to this stuff, has been that way for the last 10-15 years.

 

[bradpac]

Maybe it's just me, but it looks like in the picture of the garage there is a wall or berm behind it maybe 100' back? If so, does the last keep getting lower past that, can you remove that obstruction to let the water continue to drain to lower ground?

 

[Bondo]

Maybe it's just me, but it looks like in the picture of the garage there is a wall or berm behind it maybe 100' back? If so, does the last keep getting lower past that, can you remove that obstruction to let the water continue to drain to lower ground?

Ayuh,.... I can't see much back there, but No doubt the root of the problem is in that direction,......

I doubt the neighboring development had anything to do with it. It just looks like this was built in a hole.

The pictures give me the same impression,......

Walkin' the perimeter of the pool of water, might lead ya to the lowest point, which will need to be deepened to fix the issue,.....

 

[rsanter]

Is there a lower point you can drain to?
How deep is the water table? Can you install a dry well to take care of some of the water

Bob

 

[Lunker]

Raise it, add courses block and repour the Floor then bring a bunch gravel in to raise the driveway -or- tear it down and start over

 

[theoldwizard1]

Hi folks. Need some advice on how to deal with backyard flooding that is affecting my garage. ... My lot is roughly 89’ wide and 320’ deep and slopes down from street to back.

Even if you never have another "100 year" event, you are in a bad position !

The only thing you can do is install a dry well with a pump and pump the water all the way to the road. During the "wet season" that pump will run a lot $$$ !!

Raising the garage on blocks, will NOT prevent water intrusion. If you tear it down and rebuild, you will have to bring in a huge amount of fill to get the garage floor at least as high as the street level. I would go +1' over that !

 

[theoldwizard1]

Couple more pics from last night. Today looks like starting to recede. Im wondering if more feasible to pour a new higher pad in front of current and move garage onto it?

That sounds like the best solution to me ! It will take a LOT of fill.

Digging the very back of the lot deeper and turning it into a pond (swamp) will help, but it will collect the water form all of your neighbors so it may not help much.

The quick way to make a dry well is rent a "dingo" with the largest auger they have (30"-36") and the longest extension they have. Drill multiple holes as deep as possible. Line with the heaviest grade of commercial landscape fabric you can find. CAREFULLY (so as not to tear the fabric) fill with 3"-6" rock or broken concrete to within about a 12" of grade. Fold in the fabric and top with soil. This will NOT stop another 100 year event, and during a heavy rain you will get puddles, but they will dissipate within hours. not days.

OR

Google "soak away crates"

 

[theoldwizard1]

... so it turned out that a portion of the area they were filling was in the 100-year flood plain. The State made them put in underground storage chambers ...

There is a small river (100s of years ago it was large) not far from my house. As suburbia moved in, the combined sewer system need overflows so that went straight into the river which of course regular overflowed. (Always contained by the "ancient" river banks which were 100s of feet back an at least 30' higher.) Because these were "combined" sewers, million of gallons of raw sewage was left on the banks along this river, which is normally a park.

The solution was similar to what you said. A dozen or so HUGE underground storage tanks were built (one is under a baseball diamond, another under several soccer fields). Overflow from the still combined sewers is "stored" there until the existing sewer system can process it several days after the rain.

The river still overflows, but it is not raw sewage !

 

[crrcoal]

Maybe it's just me, but it looks like in the picture of the garage there is a wall or berm behind it maybe 100' back? If so, does the last keep getting lower past that, can you remove that obstruction to let the water continue to drain to lower ground?

That is a wooden fence (not mine). Directly behind the fence is a berm for the drainage basin at the storage place. This pic is looking over the fence. The storage place was not there when we built. It was all woods.

In one of the pics above that shows my neighbors house, you can see the tree lined berm of the new development. That berm houses drain pipe and runs to their drainage basin down the road.

 

[Bad00SS]

this exact thing was happening to a house in my old neighborhood. He was at the bottom of a slight hill and everyone's rain runoff was collecting in his yard. sometimes multiple feet deep. He built the ground up against the house prolly 3 feet and tapered it away then came forward off the sides of the house into a 3ft tall berm that would extend toward the street. Just before the ditch in the front it would turn and go across the front. the driveway even had a huge hump in it. it worked. Doesn't look the best but that yard was dry from then on. Maybe you could do the same so in front of that garage door it doesn't get water collecting. Otherwise as others have said I have seen more than one garage raising post here where they lifted the walls and roof. you could pour a new floor higher then grade the dirt away from the building.

 

[theoldwizard1]

That is a wooden fence (not mine). Directly behind the fence is a berm for the drainage basin at the storage place.

If that drainage basin is above the grade of your lot you only have one recourse !

MOVE !!

 

[NUTTSGT]

Do the newer built facilities have retention ponds to handle their storm water run off ?

 

[ez-duzit]

You chose to build the garage in a very poor location. Either relocate it or convert it to a boat house.

 

[crrcoal]

Do the newer built facilities have retention ponds to handle their storm water run off ?

They do. The storage place basin is near full. The new development basin is ok so far.

Who knew back in early 90s this would be a problem some 20+yrs or so later?

But it is what it is and now we have to find a suitable solution that doesn’t break the bank.

I’m wondering if bringing in an engineer to look things over would be wise.

 

[NUTTSGT]

They do. The storage place basin is near full. The new development basin is ok so far.

Who knew back in early 90s this would be a problem some 20+yrs or so later?

But it is what it is and now we have to find a suitable solution that doesn’t break the bank.

I’m wondering if bringing in an engineer to look things over would be wise.

If the one that is full overflowing into your yard ?

While I realize a retention pond is designed to release the water slowly, you may want to inquire if the drains are plugged and need cleaned. It may not be draining properly or slowing causing some issues.


The other thing to do is get your "flooded" neighbors together and possibly attend a town council meeting. Don't go in raising heck but make them aware of the situation, they may be able to do something to help relieve the flooding. There could be an issue with a clogged storm water line, one of the openings (most have hinged opening that are opened by water pressure) may not be functioning properly or just a river that is log jammed.

 

[isb cornbinder]

Is there a lower point you can drain to?
How deep is the water table? Can you install a dry well to take care of some of the water

Bob

Best idea.

 

[isb cornbinder]

Our house and drain tile are from 1954. All of the original houses on this street are the same age. The house next door on the high side have their drain tile collapse from age. About 70% of our drain tile is new and it has worked really well. This year, we have had heavier rain than ever before and our basement flooded. Our drain tile was doing double duty until the old remaining tiles failed this year.

We were allowed to keep the original system and now that it has failed, the city will require us to put in a modern catch and settle basin and new drains out to the city storm water system at the front street. Even if I say $15,000 really quickly, it still sounds like a lot of money. We can afford it, but I would rather spend the optional money on a four post car lift.

 

[Lunker]

If clay soil a dry well won’t help. You need to shoot the water somewhere

Is the soil is normal and sandy a drywell would work well

 

[OccupantRJ]

Move. Seriously. I had a place that started flooding across the shop floor, 2”, then 8”, then 24”, then 60”. Two feet in house on that one. Insurance paid out because I had flood insurance. I moved. I have kept track of it over the years, and it flooded 5 more times. The last time was in September’s Florence hurricane to a height of 72”. Save your sanity and move. Track inches of interior flooding vs inches of rain for a wake up call for a future heavy rain event, as it is coming. Don’t fall for that 100 yr, 500yr, or once in a lifetime ****. Rain is not on a timer.

Read this.
https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=50169

 

[Bretny]

Dry well wont do anything. Thats way to much water and the ground looks prety well saturated when its under 1ft of water. Drywells have there place but there are very few situations where they work well.

 

[ford33]

I would have the retention pond inspected to make sure it is draining properly. Also, NJ state has smart engineers that know how to manage water flow. I would seek out assistance from the local authorities to see what could be done. It is in their interest to help you. Your property values and their tax income decline with flooding problems. If that doesn't help, I would move. You can't fight and win against mother nature.

I have two retention ponds in my community. Occasionally, the drain pipes into neighboring water pathways become clogged with leaves, branches and one time with someone's large pet turtle they released into the wild. Poor turtle got stuck in the 8" pipe and drowned. When the ponds drain slowly, I will call the village and within a week a vacuum truck arrives to clean the pipes.

 

[My Old Tools]

Time to hire an independent engineering firm to do a study...then sue.

 

[Kevin54]

HOLY ****!!! I would be so pissed off. I'd be pissed because either the developer screwed up, or I screwed up building there in the first place.

You look like you have a nice place. If you plan on staying there, you'll have to fix it. Even if you build a new foundation to move the existing garage on to.....the ground will still flood. You would have to have a hell of a bed of stone underneath your slab, compacted, and a moisture barrier to prevent problems, then move the garage.

If you would go that route, could you bring in fill and topsoil that would be built up to the new foundation and force the water somewhere else?

You have options, but options also consist on how much money you want to spend and how resourceful you are.

 

[GarageGuy89]

It will be almost impossible for the forum people to give you a solution here.

You might already know this but you need to figure out two things:

1)Figure out where the water is coming from
2)Where the water goes (leaves your site)

You can do a million things to get your garage above the water level, but I do not think that is a solution. I think your solution lies within getting the water down below your building. If I were a betting man, I'd say you have a problem with water coming into your site that is not supposed to, or a problem with water leaving your site in a way it is supposed to.