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Old 08-21-17, 03:46 PM   #1
Bicycle Bob
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Default Foundation Undermining

I have the oldest house on my block, and a new neighbour has diverted a seasonal stream onto my lot. My foundation is just a few inches of concrete around the perimeter, on stony soil, and I'm getting water pouring into the crawl space when there is a cloudburst. I could add ditches and berms to the property in hopes of diverting the next major wash, but protecting just the house might be easier and safer.
I 'm thinking of adding a course of steel roofing material to the bottom of the siding. I'd put it on 2" (4cm) standoffs to keep the siding ventilated, and put a rain cap over the gap. I'd bend the bottom few inches to match the ground, and reinforce the edge against water pressure, and then add about 4" (10 cm) of heavy clay, tapered out, to reduce seepage through the gravel. Opinions?

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Old 08-22-17, 01:12 AM   #2
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This is what I did on my house. However it was when the house was being built and the foundation was exposed and not existing like you have apparently. I rented a plate compactor and compacted from the edge of the foundation out about 5 feet, sloping the dirt as shown in the image and the .pdf file. I never had issues with water in the crawl space.

It would be a challenge to dig up around the perimeter of your house and add drain pipe, etc. Maybe it would be better to address the flow of the seasonal stream and channel that?




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Old 08-22-17, 06:02 PM   #3
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B Bob

Metal will rust. A waste of time and money. Maybe an EPDM liner?


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Old 08-22-17, 07:02 PM   #4
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Quote:
Originally Posted by stevehull View Post
B Bob

Metal will rust. A waste of time and money. Maybe an EPDM liner?


Steve
Galvanized roofing is pretty durable, and the next owner may demolish the house, or add a basement. I need some strength to resist 1/4 PSI water pressure, and the roofing is available free. However, it occurs to me that the clay will freeze in the winter, so I'm thinking of a substantial flange along the ground, so the clay can be kept clear of the wall itself. The house has been stable enough for 60 years or so, but now is threatened by water pouring through gaps under the foundation. I'll try to pack some clay where it might repair those channels, and have been encouraging roots to stabilize the soil too.
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Old 09-25-17, 03:33 AM   #5
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Is it surface water or ground water? If it's surface water then the berms will be the cheapest alternative. If the water is enough to cause foundation damage then some metal and clay won't stop it, you need to divert it well away from the house, and/or drain it away from the foundation. Water flows not just on the surface of land but also under it. My advice is don't worry about what the next owner may or may not do, do what you need to to protect your house.
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Old 09-25-17, 12:42 PM   #6
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French drains also divet the water back off your property or down the property line at least.

I would consider putting in a half or full culvert pipe and send it past your property.


My first house had a stream running 10 feet from the house when I bought it the previous owner had already fixed the issue by making a concrete stream bed with 2 foot walls to send the water harmlessly past the house and its basement and right off the lot into a ditch that flowed downhill
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Old 09-04-20, 06:11 AM   #7
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You should seek help from a professional contractor as your issue sounds a bit complicated. However, EPDM Coatings has a special product for fish ponds and fountains e.g. Pond Pro 2000.
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Old 09-08-20, 03:01 PM   #8
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My guess is Bob diy'd a solution 3 years ago.
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Old 10-14-20, 07:44 PM   #9
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I know this is an old thread. But just for sag. Stevehulll nailed it with his suggestion. Pond liner is by far the cheapest and easiest fix for something like this. just rent a trncher and dig down a couple feet. Install the liner, so it goes from under the house down a couple of feet. Then just fix the grade as you back fill the trench. You could do it in a day or two, for a couple of hundred bucks and it would last longer than most of us.

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