Stick house work

[Ozz]

We had water in the basement the last hard rain, the water was pooling at the top of the yard, even coming in the window wells, so I jumped on the Internet, learned all about French drains, and today was yard work day. A trailer full of gravel, a trencher and a full day of hard work.
Sue and I are sore everywhere, I still have to put down a load of clay dirt along the front part of the foundation to drain water away.
A little over 190' of trenching, most with water drain tubing that was 'socked', and double wrapped with landscape fabric.
Trench, fabric, gravel, 4" drain tubing, wrap, more gravel.
Bummer
http://tiny.cc/FrenchDrains

[bncinwv]

Sounds like you did it right though!! Assuming that you daylighted the downhill end of the french drain???
Bingo

[noneck]

Ahhh, reminds me of last year's project!

[Waynem]

The proper way to do it is buy a trench shovel back in 1984. Get all the instructions for a proper French drain. Wait for the proper time to dig the ditch and install the drain.

Twenty four years later the water still pools in the back yard during a hard rain. I'm just waiting for the proper time to fix it.

[Driftwoodgal]

Ozz,

One day closer to selling your house. Heah, do you want to run a kennel??? We may be taking back our old house, kennel and acreage. You could be our neighbor with a big income.

Colleen

[fulltimedreamer]

Ozz,

I did one of those about three weeks ago. Mine was only about 30 feet long and I dug it by hand. Good news is it works as advertised and no more water in the basement! Hope this does the trick for you as well.

[Rondo]

Looks good Ozz! Looks like you could use my compact tractor with bucket and blade now and my electric hydraulic dump trailer to bring in that clay and distribute it! For a small fee (working on mods on my Monte) I could bring them both down to you from Omaha! Got to do something like that for my son this summer. He got water in his basement this spring when all the snow melted up here! Hope I don't hit any of the pipes and electric you did though! That's why they have the cable marking companies up here. They come out and mark all wires and pipes they find in the area of the digging.

[Ozz]

Bingo, yep, it ends up in the gravel by the ditch in front, by the road. All downhill.
Noneck, looks like we can share each other's pain. Did yours work well? Looks like mucho hand digging.
Ha! Wayne, I may be the Vice-President of that procrastinators club... But if it doesn't enter your dwelling, the urgency of the matter lowers somewhat.You can always grow Rice...
Colleen, I am so sorry to hear that, you had a sense that they would not run it well, that is too bad.
I know this will be a major pain in the keester for you and Bob. Is there any way you can save the situation? A major commitment for anyone, Sue and I are just too used to not punching that old time clock. I would love to be your neighbor, but a retired neighbor...
Rondo, you would make a great neighbor as well, the dirt is a minor part of my project, thank goodness, I can just back up 'Old Yeller' and unload it. It's best to jump on your son's deal early, while it is still cool and fairly nice out. The job intensifies when the heat and humidity of our mid-west summers gets here, and it will surely flood the next hard rain as well.
I wasn't too worried about the utilities, the electrical lines were the ones I put in for a fountain & fish pond and water supply to the two. I had them shut off, I knew my main water and gas lines were elsewhere. I didn't want to trigger the city's involvement somehow. Low profile has always worked well for me in the past. What is it? "I would rather beg for forgiveness, than ask for permission?"
I want a gully-washer now, to see if this did the trick...I have a structural engineer coming Friday to check on the wall braces I installed, to repair and halt hydraulic pressure damage in my garage basement, looks great to me, but I want his report for the buyer, if I can find one.
(4x4 square tube and angle iron.)

[Rondo]

Ozz-- Glad to hear it wasn't any of the really important water lines or electrical. The fountain can always be repaired. Sounds like you have it all under control for the basement also! My Mom's basement walls were coming in several years ago and we had to have a company come out and drill through the walls and plant some type of anchors in the ground out about 15' or so. That reminds me I have to go out and crank the bolts a little tighter again. Real easy fix- just get a monkey wrench (a big one) and tighten the bolts to draw the wall back out again. Works well! Here's hoping for your gully washer but not so bad it washes all the rock back out of the trench! Take care and keep us informed!

[ole dude]

Ummmmm--whats a basement?

[Ozz]

If any of you have 'The walls coming problem.' here is a DIY fix; Get the 4" Square steel tube, 2 or 3 of them, the length will be from your cement floor to the floor Joist's, put them against the wall, then 1/4" 3x3x4 angle iron on the cement floor, drill in cement, and bolt 1/2" bolts, securing the angle iron.
On the floor Joist above, 1/4" x3x3x36 on each, lag bolts into the Joist.
There, I just saved you guys about $4,000.00.
IF you have a problem basement or garage wall coming in-wards.

[noneck]

Ahhh, yes...still sore one year later. Seems Dad didn't think it wise to leave others to dig around condenser, power conduit, and city water lines...he's still paying the piper (not as tough as he makes himself out to be).
Successful...sort of...last major flooding event in our area left me with a bit o' wet-ness due to hydrolic pressure under basement slab. Footing drain was a gushing so happy to report this project was an improvement as clearly I would have seen water flowing out the garage doors if not for the drainage.
Brother-in-law brought rental to house but had that favor generated a Friday "Mechanic" weekend for Dad whilst we repaired a blown rear brake line in the local park 4 miles before arriving at my home.
Project was done with a rental track hoe...son jumped in and became "one" with the machine, Dad was happy with his applied video game joy stick skill being applied to real world application.
Another pic of the affending manual dig location!

[Waynem]

Rondo,
After Ozz's stated fix, ask for a refund.

[Driftwoodgal]

Ozz,

Yeppers it will be a big pain in the you know what. Bob is contacting an attorney tomorrow. They haven't paid the 2007 property taxes. Looks like our traveling will really be put on hold until we get this straightened out. You know the address and beer will be in the frig, so come on by when you are in the area. I am keeping my eye out for you on property.

Colleen

[Ozz]

We are working 7 days a week on the house, as soon as it is presentable to show, I will FISBO it and we will start the showing-selling process. I need to come down and run an electrical line over to Bob's building. Good luck on the business, maybe all will work itself out.