countrybumpkin
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You could fab up a homebuilt Dragline, that you could pull under the overhang.
Dirt Moving Trenching beneath an overhang
- Thread starter ShenandoahJoe
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Ed of all trades
Elite Member
Not sure of your setup from the pic but I have dug a basement under an existing house with an excavator and tracked bobcat. It was not as fast as if it were just out in the open but I did do it. I agree to fix the water problem up the hill but I would also fix it where it comes into the house. Ed
jenkinsph
Super Star Member
If the boulder is that big and goes into the ground far enough then tie onto each side if it with a French drain. The boulder itself can stop the water above it but you need a way to drain the water away from it.
OP
ShenandoahJoe
Gold Member
"Dragline"! I knew there must be a word. Thanks!
I have operated a dragline, and as Moss said, you need a way to control how deep the bucket goes.
A dragline has two cables, one that pulls the bucket toward the machine, and one from above that limits the depth it can reach. You need both. And, you can't do that in 18 inches of space.
Without the upper cable, the cutting edge of the bucket will turn down, and bury the bucket so deep, you won't be able to pull it through.
I am not a big fan of no dig, interior basement drainage systems. But this job may be the perfect candidate for it.
A dragline has two cables, one that pulls the bucket toward the machine, and one from above that limits the depth it can reach. You need both. And, you can't do that in 18 inches of space.
Without the upper cable, the cutting edge of the bucket will turn down, and bury the bucket so deep, you won't be able to pull it through.
I am not a big fan of no dig, interior basement drainage systems. But this job may be the perfect candidate for it.
jenkinsph
Super Star Member
That or hire a company to horizontal bore that can pull in a perforated pipe. There are a lot more companies available to do this type work now than in the past so it is more competitively priced than years ago.
I would not be comfortable with that. Without a properly prepared bed of washed stone, you could still be in deep water.
I have seen the existing stone bed harden to the point that it had to be broken up with a pneumatic chipping hammer. The water was not getting through it. But, it sure found it's way into the basement.
jenkinsph
Super Star Member
I would not be comfortable with that. Without a properly prepared bed of washed stone, you could still be in deep water.
I have seen the existing stone bed harden to the point that it had to be broken up with a pneumatic chipping hammer. The water was not getting through it. But, it sure found it's way into the basement.
A percolation test of the OP's soil would show whether it is feasible or not. Not all sols are the same and I did recommend diverting the water above the house too. In these situations you do what is feasible If the OP installs a French drain that is slightly lower in the rear of the house than the downhill side of the foundation he will stop the large portion of the water infiltration. This drain should run around the perimeter of the house and make the foundation in a manner of speaking an island. If the water is coming straight up he will still have problems. But in my experience it is a good well founded 95% solution.
drizler
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Personally I would exhaust all options to route the water away from there before I got into messing around digging deep next to the foundation Where exactly is it coming in from when you have a big dumper? The hill, the house roof mainly, it all adds up. If it's surface run odd heading down the hill you can dig deep enough to bury some of that 4" field drain. It's cheap by the 50' roll. Orient it slits up and give it just enough slope to send the water elsewhere. At the end bury a 55 gallon plastic drum full OD the rocks you dug out of the ground digging. Cut a hole upp near the top where the pipe meets it and stick it in then bury. Instead of dirt you can use crushed stone or decorative rocks, tiny ones , to fill the shallow trench in. Cheaper, crushed topped with the pretty stuff.
We did that this spring for my buddies house. The town had removed a sewer years back so all the upslope water came right to him making the basement a swamp. We also dug swallow trench and shunted the roof water way out 25' To smaller dry wells . It worked like a charm.
The thing is if you can stop the water before it gets to the house you don't have to unearth the whole foundation. Oh so much easier:thumbsup:
. Cut a hole upp near the top where the pipe meets it and stick it in then bury. Instead of dirt you can use crushed stone or decorative rocks, tiny ones , to fill the shallow trench in. Cheaper, crushed topped with the pretty stuff.We did that this spring for my buddies house. The town had removed a sewer years back so all the upslope water came right to him making the basement a swamp. We also dug swallow trench and shunted the roof water way out 25' To smaller dry wells . It worked like a charm.
The thing is if you can stop the water before it gets to the house you don't have to unearth the whole foundation. Oh so much easier:thumbsup:
I would of course, be all for improving drainage around the house, and keeping the water away to start with. That goes without saying.
French drains work perfectly, when you really don't need them. But, once the ground is saturated, and it rains for a week straight, they can fill, and they become worthless.
If the drain doesn't run to daylight, I can never really sleep good.