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Ibeme
Citizen
Username: Ibeme
Post Number: 112
Registered: 6-2006
| | Posted on Wednesday, July 26, 2006 - 11:47 am: | 
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Whenever it rains, we get a little bit of water in our basement toward the front our house. We are fortunate enough to have a nice wraparound mahogany porch that I am refinishing as we speak. I finally got around to taking a peak under the porch today and found that the ground slopes sharply toward the house underneath the porch. This is most likely the reason for the water in the basement. There is some laddus work leaning against the opening between the supporting brick columns, and its relatively esay to get under there, but the area under the porch is cramped. How does one regrade under the porch? |
J L Bryant
Citizen
Username: Jeffbryant
Post Number: 20
Registered: 6-2002
| | Posted on Wednesday, July 26, 2006 - 12:14 pm: |
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Ummmm, unless there's a point source (like a leader) that's directly discharging water under the porch, I'd severely doubt that's your highest contributor to basement infiltration. Adding to, yes; THE reason, no. The porch sheds/slopes away from the house itself hopefully, doesn't it?
As for regrading..... SINCE massive direct water shouldn't be getting in there in the first place, you could either add soil to raise the grade up at the fdn. wall & then slope it out towards the lattice (provided you leave at least 8" airspace to top-of-foundation wall) or it dig inward from the lattice so you create a positive slope outwardly. I'm imagining a tight and uncomfortable area, but....... sounds like you just gotta tough it out. Shovels, spades, rakes..... |
Ibeme
Citizen
Username: Ibeme
Post Number: 114
Registered: 6-2006
| | Posted on Wednesday, July 26, 2006 - 12:39 pm: |
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Can you elaborate on: "dig inward from the lattice so you create a positive slope outwardly"? I've already had all the gutters replaced and made sure no water is running toward the house from the roof. |
Bob K
Supporter
Username: Bobk
Post Number: 12247
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Wednesday, July 26, 2006 - 12:46 pm: |
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Check to see if water puddles near the foundation during/after a big storm. If water pools this is probably the source of your problem, if not look elsewhere. If the porch is solidly built, it is hard to imagine much water getting in there, unless the whole yard is slanted towards the house.
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Ibeme
Citizen
Username: Ibeme
Post Number: 115
Registered: 6-2006
| | Posted on Wednesday, July 26, 2006 - 12:59 pm: |
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The house is positioned in the middle of a large hill with the front facing direclty up the hill. The front year, which is approximiately 8' deep is not on a hill itself. I am thinking the the drainage of the entire hill is teh culprit. The porch is solidly built, so teh water is no seeping from through the boards, but may be rolling down the hill and under the porch. |
J L Bryant
Citizen
Username: Jeffbryant
Post Number: 21
Registered: 6-2002
| | Posted on Wednesday, July 26, 2006 - 1:05 pm: |
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Ibeme - just meant that you either (add soil) raise the slope toward the fdn wall under the porch.... or remove soil (dig it out beginning at the lattice; not addressing any make-up difference of lattice) to create the slope away from the fdn wall. You've got to add or subtract soil, either way, but slope the ground -positively- away from the wall. The bottom line is that you never want to cause water to pond or puddle into a fdn wall, even if that's the overall site topology ("yard slanted toward house"). Jeff |
Ibeme
Citizen
Username: Ibeme
Post Number: 116
Registered: 6-2006
| | Posted on Wednesday, July 26, 2006 - 1:09 pm: |
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Got it. Where does one get the dirt needed to add under the porch? |
J L Bryant
Citizen
Username: Jeffbryant
Post Number: 22
Registered: 6-2002
| | Posted on Wednesday, July 26, 2006 - 1:20 pm: |
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Ahhhh, one of those yards..... my sympathies. Given what you've described, I'm not so sure I'd council adding soil. But, around here, landscaping supply businesses should provide soil though - depends on how much you need, too (I've never needed it, so can't recommend). Sometimes paving companies/landscaping companies have soil-to-dispose-of also from whatever project they've got...... a call out might yield a win-win for their disposal & your need.
If I can suggest, sounds like you might consider putting in a drainage swale or even a subsurface collection system (trenched piping around the house, out the back to daylight). Even though you may not see water coming in regularly, you've got a site that's definitely pushing (storm) water against your foundation wall.... and it should be diverted. |
Bob K
Supporter
Username: Bobk
Post Number: 12249
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Wednesday, July 26, 2006 - 3:35 pm: |
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JL's comment on a swale (and yah gotta pay real money to somebody who uses words such as that  ) may be the way to go.
One of the issues is that you may turn your neighbors basement into a swimming pool and his yard into a duck pond, so professional advise might be a good idea. |
Ibeme
Citizen
Username: Ibeme
Post Number: 117
Registered: 6-2006
| | Posted on Wednesday, July 26, 2006 - 4:17 pm: |
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And on that note, who might you suggest calling to install a swale?
Then again, there is no guarantee that it would be the cure-all. What if it's installed at or near the surface on the exterior of the foundation wall, but the water is actually going underneath the swale and coming back up through the slab just on the inside of the foundation?
There are two primary points of entry from what I can tell. One is through the wall while the other, which is actually more prevalent, is through the floor as described above. It's apparent that the basement was poorly finished at one point. This is due to the presence of 2x4's and some rudimentary framing being in place from some time ago. There was probably some wood paneling in place that was taken down due to the water issues. This was all prior to my buying the house about a year ago.
There is a hole in the floor on the foundation side of the existing framing. The hole appears to have been drilled at some point. The water comes up through the hold and pools near the foundation wall. When it rains heavily, the water trickles out of its pool, under the framing and moves onto the floor.
With all the rain we've had, I'm surprised we haven't had a flood. It just remains at the same level of infiltration. |
J L Bryant
Citizen
Username: Jeffbryant
Post Number: 23
Registered: 6-2002
| | Posted on Thursday, July 27, 2006 - 9:18 am: |
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Ibeme - a swale is simply a depression or 'path' cut into the site to direct a known volume of water where you want it to go. And w/ a nod to Bob K (& thanks ~I got a lot o' quarter words ), you wouldn't direct it into the neighbors area, you'd direct it to the street. It isn't a subsurface-piped system. But any landscaping contractor w/ a bobcat could perform it for you. Or do it yourself w/ a shovel.
From Merriam-Webster -
Main Entry: swale Pronunciation: 'swAl Function: noun Etymology: origin unknown : a low-lying or depressed and often wet stretch of land; also : a shallow depression on a golf fairway or green
But all this is straying from regrading under the porch. Maybe finish that first, 'cause it needs to be done. Then decide how extensively you want to affect the property's storm water issues and/or how much you want to use the basement. Pls see the thread on "M-SO Message Board » Home Fix-it » Again with the wet basement...".
Again, if I can help further, let me know. Jeff
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