Which way of grading is better for basement water mitigation
HouseOwner MN
2 years ago
last modified: 2 years ago
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Grading issue, water in basement
Comments (8)A potential avenue to research would be the installation of a strategically placed rain garden or two. You can install catch basins below your gutter downspouts and pipe them directly into your rain garden. Besides helping with your water issue there are many other benefits to creating a rain garden. For example: Rain and melting snow (if you live in MN like myself) runs off your roof, driveway and even your lawn, directly flowing to the street and inevitably down the storm drains. All of this runoff, when untreated, carries pollutants like oil, salt, fertilizer and pesticides that are being directed right into our rivers, lakes and streams. This is causing major issues with our fresh water! Your rain garden(s) will capture all that runoff and hold thousands of gallons of rainwater that can be used to feed your beautiful garden and surrounding plants while also infiltrating water deep into the ground helping to maintain your water table. Plants, mulch and soil effectively break up the pollutants and make them non harmful to us. Lastly, a rain garden is not only beautiful, it creates a habitat for birds and beneficial insects and not to mention it makes a great statement for your appreciation of nature and humanity,...See MoreFull slab on grade of Full basement option
Comments (39)It's best practice to use perforated PVC (NOT PE black slinky) around the outside of footings/bottom of basement and retaining walls. This pipe is wrapped in a filter sock, clean gravel and protected by thicker geotextile fabric like a burrito. It's best to backfill with clean gravel on top of burrito and against buried walls. This gravel is also protected by fabric. A cap layer of less pervious soil and good slope away from the house redirects surface water, the drainage stuff below is for times of heavy rain and increased groundwater. The perforated pipe transitions to solid pipe as it leaves the gravel burrito at house. It's pitched to drain by gravity, just like downspout drains. Some sites may need to trench 100' or more to drain to daylight. Cleanouts should be provided as needed, same as with waste plumbing. It's also best practice to have a drainage pipe in the slab gravel layer that maintains a consistent slope to daylight, usually requiring a penetration of the stem wall on the downhill side. Very few residential monolithic slabs in our area, but those might need the pipe to go through or under footing. A dry, monolithic slab site may not need a drain if built up well. If basement is a top design priority, and gravity drainage is not possible, then I would specify an airtight sump cover and look into battery backup if in an area of frequent power outages. The wetter and more remote the site, the more nervous I would be without gravity assist. Power failures often coincide with the big weather events that require drainage....See MoreSolid wood floors OR better grade engineered wood floors
Comments (14)A high quality engineered floor will have the same or longer wear life as a solid wood floor. This isn't usually a big deal in residential as you are talking at least 45 years of life... Engineered wood flooring can cope with changes in moisture better than a solid wood floor, but if you have a good HVAC system and monitor the humidity in your home, both will be fine. Solid wood floors are not recommended below grade, for example in the basement. Our standard 5/8" thick engineered floor will give you 3-4 sand and refinishes. This floor can be glued to the slab and will line up with carpet and most tiles. This means you don't have to drop the slab (money saver!) or use transition pieces. Some areas where it is very dry have had issues with the thicker engineered floors (3/4" with 6mm wear layer) as the plywood base dries out at a different rate to the wear layer. One of our clients (Flooring installer) in Arizona is replacing engineered with solid as it handles that climate better. Since it sounds like you are doing a remodel, you are probably best to go with an engineered floor. A 5/8" thick engineered wood floor from our company has a 4mm wear layer and will give you 3-4 sand and refinishes. This you can glue to the slab and will take up around the same amount of thickness as the travertine did. This means you will not have to replace the trim, cut off the bottoms of doors etc. Typically a solid wood floor is installed on a plywood sub-floor. On a new build the slab would be dropped on those areas to allow for the extra thickness. A quality engineered wood floor is not inferior to a solid wood floor in anyway. Once it is installed you will not be able to tell the difference. If you have further questions, feel free to reach out! We are only a email or a phone call away -- debbie@woodco.com // (210) 298-9663 Keep safe! -- Debbie George | WoodCo www.woodco.com...See MoreLooking for help on negative grade/water issue in yard
Comments (28)Does the original first course of siding run that low to the ground (ie it needs to be that low for some reason), or was this someone's idea to just cover up an unsightly foundation? If the second, why not remove that lowest course or two? Then you could both install a French foundation drain, and amend the slope immediately next to the foundation. Then paint any remaining visible foundation to match the siding if you must. French drains are common and effective in my neighborhood, as it was built on reclaimed wetland and the water table is high with clay soil that drains slowly. Both next to the foundation, and out in the yards. My neighbor actually has a sump pump installed in his back yard because it turns into a shallow lake, complete with ducks, after a heavy downpour....See MoreHouseOwner MN
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