Foundation Undermining

Bicycle Bob · 08-21-17, 03:46 PM

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?

Geo NR Gee · 08-22-17, 01:12 AM

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?

stevehull · 08-22-17, 06:02 PM

B Bob

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

Steve

Bicycle Bob · 08-22-17, 07:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by stevehull

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.

DEnd · 09-25-17, 03:33 AM

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.

ecomodded · 09-25-17, 12:42 PM

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

jennfiermorgon · 09-04-20, 06:11 AM

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.

jeff5may · 09-08-20, 03:01 PM

My guess is Bob diy'd a solution 3 years ago.

WillyP · 10-14-20, 07:44 PM

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.

08-21-17, 03:46 PM	#1
Bicycle Bob Suncatcher Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Spiritwood, Northern Saskatchewan Posts: 42 Thanks: 0 Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post	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?

08-22-17, 06:02 PM	#3
stevehull Steve Hull Join Date: Dec 2012 Location: hilly, tree covered Arcadia, OK USA Posts: 826 Thanks: 241 Thanked 165 Times in 123 Posts	B Bob Metal will rust. A waste of time and money. Maybe an EPDM liner? Steve __________________ consulting on geothermal heating/cooling & rational energy use since 1990

09-25-17, 12:42 PM	#6
ecomodded Supreme EcoRenovator Join Date: Sep 2012 Location: Vancouver Island,Canada. Posts: 1,037 Thanks: 116 Thanked 100 Times in 87 Posts	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 __________________ To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.

09-25-17, 03:33 AM	#5
DEnd Apprentice EcoRenovator Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: NC Posts: 117 Thanks: 6 Thanked 27 Times in 25 Posts	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.

09-04-20, 06:11 AM	#7
jennfiermorgon Lurking Renovator Join Date: Sep 2020 Location: Shelton Connecticut USA Posts: 1 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	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.

09-08-20, 03:01 PM	#8
jeff5may Supreme EcoRenovator Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: elizabethtown, ky, USA Posts: 2,431 Thanks: 431 Thanked 619 Times in 517 Posts	My guess is Bob diy'd a solution 3 years ago.

10-14-20, 07:44 PM	#9
WillyP Helper EcoRenovator Join Date: Jul 2020 Location: Virginia Posts: 30 Thanks: 8 Thanked 3 Times in 3 Posts	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.