basement below water table

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01-10-02, 12:57 AM

sbell

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basement below water table

I would like to finish the basement in our home that is 1 1/2 years old. However, the basement floor is approx. 1-2 feet below the water table. I have two sump pumps, one inside the foundation wall and one outside. The inside pump kicks in about every hour and a half. I have a battery backup installed, but I still worry about water in the basement if both pumps fail.

I have an idea that I want to run by the folks on this board. What about pouring a 2-3 ft high cement wall around the sump hole? The sump hole is in one corner of the basement and what I had in mind was to build two cement walls against the foundation to make a square retainer wall. Has anyone ever heard of someone doing this? Are their any other ideas? I know I'm probably crazy for even thinking of finishing the basement, but doing nothing with the available space makes me sick.

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01-18-02, 08:24 AM

resercon

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You have clearly more than 2 to 3 times more protection than most people have. You even gone as far as having a battery backup. You can take it a step further by buying a backup sump pump in the unlikely event that both would fail at the same time. You should see the sumps work periodically and if they don't, let's say for a month, I would recommend you pour water into the well to see if they're operational. As far as building a wall around the sump well, if the water got that high due to the failure of the pumps, it would find its way into your basement elsewhere. In my opinion, based on what is already existing, use the basement.

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01-22-02, 07:27 AM

jgobrien

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Sump Pump Retaining Wall

I feel your pain! We also have an unfinished basement and have gotten water in it three times since we moved in three years ago. We have a terrible water problem in the back yard. One time, we got water in through the basement windows because there was so much snow out back, and then we got rain. I was up to my shins in water in the back yard.

Another time, we got water when during a big storm, we lost power, so the pump couldn’t work. I installed a battery back-up.

I thought about installing a wall around the sump pump hole as well. I’m writing now because of the last time we got water. It rained so hard, that both the AC and DC pumps couldn’t keep up. So, it overflowed the hole. BUT, it also seeped through the cracks in the floor. If I had installed a wall around the sump pump, there would be nowhere for the water on the floor to go.

So I think it would be a bad idea. As much as I hated to push the water to the hole all night, it would have been a lot worse if I had to bail it out.

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Basements, Attics and Crawl Spaces
Basement Refinish

on Jan 09, 2002

I have purchased my first home about 1 year ago. My next project on the house is to refinish my basement. As there have been moisture problems in the past, I am faced with taking down the old knotty pine panelling so I can patch cracks in the foundation and then dry-lock. After doing so, I want to put up drywall instead of the original panelling. After taking down the first wall of panelling, I am curious as to whether or not to use the existing framing (2X4 nailed flat against the concrete), or tear it down and reframe the wall completly. I am planning on using rigid foam insulation between the drywall and the foundation, and would prefer to use the framing that is already there in addition to adding a little bit more for securely fastening the drywall. Does this sound like an okay plan? Also, does the lumber need to be treated?
Basements, Attics and Crawl Spaces
Foundation Drain

T

Todd Bowden on Jan 18, 2002

I have a new home, less than 1-year old, with a basement I intend to finish in the future. The basement is under the builder's warranty against leaking, but has leaked on the east side and north-east corner. The builder has excavated and removed the original drain system installed at the foundation. It is a flat plastic strip with what looks like waffles inside - about 1 inch thick. It was installed without a gravel drain bed or any drain board of any kind. It is positioned next to the footer on which the concrete basement wall is poured. It was backfilled with topsoil in direct contact with the drainstrip. The builder says this is the correct application of this technology - but it clearly failed. The builder replaced it with a traditional drain tile and gravel system - on the north and east sides. I want the system replaced on the west side too, but the builder is refusing because the west side has not leaked, yet. I have lodged a complaint with the local building inspector who has accepted the complant and will require the builder to provide an engineering certificate that the installation meets local codes. I frankly expect that the builder can comply and provide a certificate, but I don't trust the installation or the technology. Two questions: 1) is anyone familiar with this drainstrip technology and what is the correct installation application? The attached jpeg represent the type of technology used, but not the way it is installed. 2) other than sue him, what else can I do to convince/compel the builder to replace the drain on the west side?