Basement Water Mitigation Legit?

[shiftdnb]

I had this exact thing done in my basement about 7 years ago. Anytime it rained I had a little stream running from one side of the basement to a drain in the corner. We flooded once during a hurricane and after that we had the weaping tile, french drain and sump pump installed. It's been excellent and my basement has been dry since including when my water heater burst. They had put drains around it so that it saved the basement from flooding.

The only thing I recommend is when they put the drain out in your yard have them put in a dry well so the water has somewhere to go if you get a lot. I am going to be digging out a dry well next year where my drain is because during really rainy times my lawn becomes a big puddle.

[unluky]

I'll agree with the start outside first. My buddy bought an older house with a basement when we were young. It had small cracks in the walls but the basement was pretty dry except for hard rains. It was "unfinished" and painted, but you still don't want water down there.

He worked on his gutters and we hauled in 3-4 loads of dirt and started against the house and tapered it out about 3-4 feet away from the house - then he was going to redo the drain in the basement - but the gutters and dirt fixed it all. Getting the water to flow away from the house cured all his issues and he lived there another 3-4 years and the basement stayed dry the whole time.

[omasou]

Originally Posted by dreamingat30fps

Definitely gutters all around the house with those leaf covers on them. They all go to PVC pipes in the ground so I guess I will have to disconnect those are see if I can see any issues in there as I can’t really tell where they go after the go underground. The house is on a slope, so water should go from the front of the house down to the back and then keeps going down into yard/woods.

If the gutters go into vertical PVC pipes then most likely there is an external french drain around the foundation. If there is there should also be a clean-out where they all come together and go to a dry pit or daylight.

If there is a french drain watch the clean out during the rain. If it becomes overwhelmed (rising water) then the sump pump cannot pump against it and the water will rise out of the sump pit.

If you have a sump pump and a PVC pipe daylighting into it there is probably an internal french drain that they can also use for radon mitigation. Not sure if that is an issue down south.

I thought I was fine. For the past 11 years nothing. Then w/the last hurricane the power went out and the water rose in the basement ~6". I believe the good news is that the water table around my house is no higher than 6" and above that will drain away no matter how much rain?

So now I need to get off my a** and get a generator and backup for the sump pump so it doesn't happen again.

http://constructionmanning.ca/french...waterproofing/ <- I've never heard of draining an external drain into the house sump. Usually the opposite my sump pumps into the drain which goes to a dry pit.

[dreamingat30fps]

Originally Posted by omasou

If the gutters go into vertical PVC pipes then most likely there is an external french drain around the foundation. If there is there should also be a clean-out where they all come together and go to a dry pit or daylight.

If there is a french drain watch the clean out during the rain. If it becomes overwhelmed (rising water) then the sump pump cannot pump against it and the water will rise out of the sump pit.

If you have a sump pump and a PVC pipe daylighting into it there is probably an internal french drain that they can also use for radon mitigation. Not sure if that is an issue down south.

I thought I was fine. For the past 11 years nothing. Then w/the last hurricane the power went out and the water rose in the basement ~6". I believe the good news is that the water table around my house is no higher than 6" and above that will drain away no matter how much rain?

So now I need to get off my a** and get a generator and backup for the sump pump so it doesn't happen again.

http://constructionmanning.ca/french...waterproofing/ <- I've never heard of draining an external drain into the house sump. Usually the opposite my sump pumps into the drain which goes to a dry pit.

To clarify I don’t believe there is currently any sump pump anywhere. The sales guy was recommending installing one inside the basement, inside a pit where the drains he proposed inside the basement would lead. I’m not sure where the gutters go, but my feeling is they go into a pvc pipe that just extends some ways away from the house into the ground. Need to investigate more but heading back to FL tomorrow or Sat so will have to wait until next time.

Here is a pic of what the guy was talking about.

[DETRoadster]

I might be in the minority here but when I see a house with a sump pump in the basement I think "no thanks, don't want those headaches." I'm not sure it would stop me from buying a house but it certainly would reduce the value in my mind. I know they are super common and no big deal so maybe I'm just weird but they freak me out a little. So I'd much prefer in my own house to solve the issue outside of at all possible and not risk taking a hit on home value by digging up the basement and installing the pump. Besides, all that water starts outside and comes in the basement so why not try to prevent it from coming in in the first place. Kinda like plugging the hole in the boat vs just bailing the water out after it comes in.

[SickGTR]

Originally Posted by dreamingat30fps

To clarify I don’t believe there is currently any sump pump anywhere. The sales guy was recommending installing one inside the basement, inside a pit where the drains he proposed inside the basement would lead. I’m not sure where the gutters go, but my feeling is they go into a pvc pipe that just extends some ways away from the house into the ground. Need to investigate more but heading back to FL tomorrow or Sat so will have to wait until next time.

Here is a pic of what the guy was talking about.

Exactly this. Fixed mine and knock on wood have had zero issues since