French drain causing a problem?
 

I am considering installing a french drain along one side of the house
that faces an uphill grade with a fairly high water table and heavy
clay soil. On heavy back-to back downpours I have water coming up to
the bottom of the basement slab. It does not intrude inside the
basement because at that poont it is handled by the sump pump, but
would I do better to divert the water away from the slab?

A related question is this: Will I compromise the structural integrity
of the slab/foundation/wall by digging out the perimeter of the wall
all the way down to the footings? The house is 20 years old and has a
solid concrete slab floor and cinderblack foundation walls.

Thanks,
David

David wrote:
I am considering installing a french drain along one side of the house
that faces an uphill grade with a fairly high water table and heavy
clay soil. On heavy back-to back downpours I have water coming up to
the bottom of the basement slab. It does not intrude inside the
basement because at that poont it is handled by the sump pump, but
would I do better to divert the water away from the slab?

Y-E-S



A related question is this: Will I compromise the structural integrity
of the slab/foundation/wall by digging out the perimeter of the wall
all the way down to the footings? The house is 20 years old and has a
solid concrete slab floor and cinderblack foundation walls.

No, after all the soil was not there when the built the wall.


Thanks,
David

--
Joseph E. Meehan

26 + 6 = 1 It's Irish Math

clipped


The water is not making it to the basement floor, it is being handled
by the existing sump pump and this only occurs on heavy rain
conditions, so it sounds to me like everything is working like it
should. It's certainly not abnormal, that's what the existing sump
pump system is there to handle.

That seems very logical.


If you want to divert some more water away from the house, which
certainly isn't a dad idea, rather than excavating all the way to the
footings, I would first try putting a surface drain in to intercept
the water. Also, all the water from your roof is being carried away
from the house, right?

It may be better to explore diverting the water further away from the
house, such as with berm or swale uphill. Depends on what is uphill and
alongside; don't want to flood the neighbors.

Off topic.

Joseph, I was driving to a service call Friday and saw a bumper sticker on a
car. The bumper sticker had your tag line on it. Neat!

"Joseph Meehan" wrote in message
...
David wrote:
I am considering installing a french drain along one side of the house
that faces an uphill grade with a fairly high water table and heavy
clay soil. On heavy back-to back downpours I have water coming up to
the bottom of the basement slab. It does not intrude inside the
basement because at that poont it is handled by the sump pump, but
would I do better to divert the water away from the slab?

Y-E-S



A related question is this: Will I compromise the structural integrity
of the slab/foundation/wall by digging out the perimeter of the wall
all the way down to the footings? The house is 20 years old and has a
solid concrete slab floor and cinderblack foundation walls.

No, after all the soil was not there when the built the wall.


Thanks,
David

--
Joseph E. Meehan

26 + 6 = 1 It's Irish Math

We had the same situation once upon a time and put in french drains
which helped but did not do away with the problem.

We began a series of landscaping modifications which diverted the
water away from the slab and kept the water coming downhill from
making it to the house. These did the trick. I believe the
landscaping would have done the job without all the money spent on
french drains.

Someone also mentioned that the pest control people don't like french
drains. anybody know why?

HeatMan wrote:
Off topic.

Joseph, I was driving to a service call Friday and saw a bumper sticker on
a
car. The bumper sticker had your tag line on it. Neat!

And you are likely one of the few people who know what it means.


"Joseph Meehan" wrote in message
...
David wrote:
I am considering installing a french drain along one side of the house
that faces an uphill grade with a fairly high water table and heavy
clay soil. On heavy back-to back downpours I have water coming up to
the bottom of the basement slab. It does not intrude inside the
basement because at that poont it is handled by the sump pump, but
would I do better to divert the water away from the slab?

Y-E-S



A related question is this: Will I compromise the structural integrity
of the slab/foundation/wall by digging out the perimeter of the wall
all the way down to the footings? The house is 20 years old and has a
solid concrete slab floor and cinderblack foundation walls.

No, after all the soil was not there when the built the wall.


Thanks,
David

--
Joseph E. Meehan

26 + 6 = 1 It's Irish Math

--
Joseph E. Meehan

26 + 6 = 1 It's Irish Math