Wet basement and catch basins

[Reit38]

So in the 3yrs of living in our house we have not eve had water in the basement. This past few weeks we have had close to 20in of rain and now have seepage in one room we recently finished. Adding a sump pit to a bedroom is pretty much out of the question. The room is in one corner of the house that is kind of a low spot in the yard. I can't bring any more fill in due to windows being level with the ground already.

I am think of trying a storm water leeching system. I see that menards sells a 50gal one with perforated holes to slowly drain the water into the soil. Has any one added one of these before? Did it help?

My other thought was to add a few catch basins near the house and run perforated tile to a intake in my driveway.

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[Lynden]

Every situation is different. I suggest you hire a civil engineer to look at the problem. If you're close to ISU, you could probably find a CE grad student who would be willing to come out and give you some suggestions. Go Cyclones!

 

[matt_i]

I think it depends how your soil "percs" which is to say not for a septic system because rainwater shows up 100x faster than a drainfield has to handle. Probably a 50 gal tub-empty is the biggest single event that a drainfield ever sees, perhaps seconded by a top loader washer draining. But for stormwater, 50 gallons is chump change...

I have some sort of that here that the previous owner put in, its probably a simpler "french drain to buried rock pit". What I don't like is that it relies on corrugated pipe instead of PVC. I've either crushed it with my tractor or a pickup truck driving over the grass as I can see the depression and its now clogged and is going to be some muddy spring project to re-excavate and put in the PVC.

 

[Bretny]

Take pictures outside. A leach pit is designed to fail.
If you can add even a small swale to drain surface water away that may help.
If you do a swale and it dosnt help then your ground water is most likely high. Theres little you can do with this.

 

[tipsy]

Window wells and then raise the ground. As long as it's not higher than the top of the foundation.

 

[theoldwizard1]

The room is in one corner of the house that is kind of a low spot in the yard. I can't bring any more fill in due to windows being level with the ground already.

That is not a basin, it is a dry well and simply installing it where you are having a problem will NOT solve you problem.

My French Drain and Dry Well Project

The solution to your problem is NOT cheap or easy !

• Dig a trench 4-5' wide in the area where you are having the problem. This has to go down to the foundation, below where the basement wall meets the floor.
• Clean the wall (power wash), let dry and apply an asphalt waterproofer.
• Then apply a waterproof membrane
• The apply "dimple board"
• At the bottom of the trench, install drainage pipe. You need to run this to a sump pit or to a dry well installed at least 20' away
• Back fill with gravel up to about 18" below grade

The cheap solution that may NOT work is to make a new "low spot" in your yard, even lower than that the area you have. This needs to be at least 20' away. Bury the dry well there. Install a french drain system about 12" below grade from you current low spot to you new lower spot with the dry well. During "monsoon" rains you will have to pump this out and down to the street. (In my case, this is once or twice a year.)


Water seeks the lowest, easiest point. You need that to be away from your foundation.

 

[kbs2244]

Before you take on a huge project. just get longer downspouts to get the water further away from the house.

How often do you get a 20 inch rain?

You can store 10 foot lengths under the deck and install them when the forecast calls for it.

 

[Reit38]

Seems to be a low spot just past the rocks in the yard. In front of the double window. Which is where the water shows up first on the floor in the basement

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[SALIV8]

1800seepage

I have used us waterproofing and been very happy. Plus they have lifetime guarantees

 

[theoldwizard1]

Seems to be a low spot just past the rocks in the yard. In front of the double window. Which is where the water shows up first on the floor in the basement

The real low spot appears to be over by the blue spruce (to the left of the propane tank). Put your dry well there and figure out how to get the water to run to it. Look at my pictures.

 

[Reit38]

Yes ground is lower over there by trees

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[kbs2244]

Are your gutters over flowing in a heavy rain?
(Downspouts not big enough.)

You should not be getting any water on the ground of a guttered side, but that gravel looks like it is getting well rinsed.

 

[Bretny]

Put a small swale in and any dirt you remove from the bottom of it put by the house. I never like gravel by houses. It just makes for a nice water to sit.

 

[Reit38]

Checked gutters and down today. All see to be free and clear

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[kbs2244]

"Checked gutters and down today. All see to be free and clear"

I understand.
But they can still be undersized for the roof size.

You need to go out and get wet during one of your heavy rains to check it out.

 

[Hilltopmasonry]

Where is the seepage coming in at in relation to your pictures? Is it by your windows?


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[GarageGuy89]

Grad students likely won't have the knowledge or experience you desire here. They can crunch numbers but likely have never dealt with this type of issue.

Research french drains, and discharge away from the house. Doesn't look like you have gravity as an option so pumping may be needed. This will keep water from ponding in your house but may not necessary keep it from leaching through or being damp.

Rule of thumb for foundations, is to get as much water away from them as fast as you can.

 

[Greywarrior07]

That is not a basin, it is a dry well and simply installing it where you are having a problem will NOT solve you problem.

My French Drain and Dry Well Project

The solution to your problem is NOT cheap or easy !

• Dig a trench 4-5' wide in the area where you are having the problem. This has to go down to the foundation, below where the basement wall meets the floor.
• Clean the wall (power wash), let dry and apply an asphalt waterproofer.
• Then apply a waterproof membrane
• The apply "dimple board"
• At the bottom of the trench, install drainage pipe. You need to run this to a sump pit or to a dry well installed at least 20' away
• Back fill with gravel up to about 18" below grade

.

THIS is exactly what I’ll be doing doing this weekend to my mother in laws house.
Similar style of build, basement windows right at ground level. Except we will be doing to entire perimeter of house.
I’ll post some pictures from the weekend, can’t wait to play with the Mini Ex.



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[zendriver]

I just put in some catch basins around my house to move foundation and downspout water away about 10 feet

That low spot is probably where you're getting water it might be a perfect place for a catch basin

Personally, I would go to the expense of a dry well, only if I didn't have anywhere else to channel the water, especially somewhere that can get 20 inches of rain in a short period of time.



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[Reit38]

Well after another 2 inches, we finally have water coming in around the whole foundation.

I ended up tearing up carpet and pad in the room where those windows are.

Were expected to get another 3-5in Thurs

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[raferguson]

As I understand it, best practice would be to excavate all around the foundation, and put in french drains, with technical fabric to keep the mud out of the drains, and then pack the drains in sand or small gravel. The article below is a reasonable approach, about what I suggested above.

https://www.hgtv.com/remodel/outdoors/how-to-install-french-drains

If the area is relatively flat, then you will be forced to use a sump pump to haul the water away. A friend of mine had a sloping yard, so when he installed french drains, he was able to use gravity, which is much more reliable than a sump pump.

Note that these kind of systems are also very useful for removing radon gas, so it is worth it to consider some of the details that would help you apply negative pressure to the entire french drain system. (For example, an airtight lid over the sump).

I went through what you went through a few years ago, when we got a year's worth of rain in one week. (It was called a thousand year rain). Since that was the only time in 40 or 50 years that we had water problems, I did not install french drains. You, however, only have three years of history, so you have no reason to think that this will not happen again in a few years. :-(

 

[theoldwizard1]

Well after another 2 inches, we finally have water coming in around the whole foundation.

Even on the left side (with the long downspout extension) ? That looks it is graded pretty well away from the house.

Remove the sod in the back yard (starting at the edge of the flower bed) and lower the whole back yard 3"-6", deeper father away.

If this down't work follow what Greywarrior07 is doing !

 

[Reit38]

Yes also left side and to the north side of house grade is about the same as the left. The other day it was slowly weeping in all the way around the house.

I have a sump on opposite side if the house and it's been slowly getting full. Thinking about adding another to the utility room that is behind (north) of this finished bedroom. Kind of nervous to cut one in right now tho. It might look like Beverly hillbillies with water shooting up.

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[Hilltopmasonry]

Before you start installing catch basins this area IMO needs to be addressed. I can almost guarantee you your water penetration is coming in at that brick rowlock underneath the window

Unfortunately it looks like your foundation terminates below grade so the water is wicking in through the bottom course of bricks that is below grade

Rowlocks are notorious for water leaking. I replace them all the time because the Bricks are spalling and falling apart

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[Reit38]

For what its worth...... From what I've been told,The house was originally moved from a mile down the road. At that time it was bricked [ was wood siding originally] . I'm assuming it's a block basement. I believe this happened in the late 80s

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