lzicc
Platinum Member
I built an addition on my house. It is 24' x 32'. I dug the foundation out, poured the footer and laid the block. I have the addition all framed in, all the gutters installed which drain through PVC pipe that goes to the street. I put an exterior french drain around the perimeter, backfilled and have the dirt sloped away from the house. I am getting ready to pour the basement floor when I noticed water on the ground. I don't know where the water is coming from, but it doesn't look like it's coming through the blocks since they are dry but seeping possibly under the footer. You can see the water in the one end of the basement and it wicks up the footer. It's not allot, but you can see shallow puddles. The ground there is mushy also. It seems like after it rains real hard, about 4 days later the water shows up. It dries up on it's own after a week. The footer is on solid ground which is shale. My backhoe had trouble digging the footer so I rented a demolition hammer to break up the shale for the footer so I know it is solid.
I would like to know how this water is getting in, but I don't have any idea. I am going to put in an interior french drain around the perimeter. I have a few options. Where I built the addition, there is an old well pipe that is in the middle of the basement floor. I cut it off level to the ground and was going to cap it and pour my floor over top of it. The well is about 70' deep. I thought about running my perimeter french drain to it so that the water will drain into the old well. Is that a stupid idea? What would be a better drain pipe to use, PVC or Flex pipe? When I go to pour the floor, would it be a good idea to put a good layer of gravel or limestone on the surface? Right now I have a small layer of limestone covering the surface, but may be putting a thicker layer on since I saw the water. I guess I would put the vapor barrier on top of the limestone not below it?
I would like to know how this water is getting in, but I don't have any idea. I am going to put in an interior french drain around the perimeter. I have a few options. Where I built the addition, there is an old well pipe that is in the middle of the basement floor. I cut it off level to the ground and was going to cap it and pour my floor over top of it. The well is about 70' deep. I thought about running my perimeter french drain to it so that the water will drain into the old well. Is that a stupid idea? What would be a better drain pipe to use, PVC or Flex pipe? When I go to pour the floor, would it be a good idea to put a good layer of gravel or limestone on the surface? Right now I have a small layer of limestone covering the surface, but may be putting a thicker layer on since I saw the water. I guess I would put the vapor barrier on top of the limestone not below it?