The Poseiden Adventure, Or the Durn Basement is Flooding

[zenwhipper]

Well thanks to the freaking monsoons Seattle is having right now, our finished basement is flooding. Yah nice huh? We've had the house for 12 years and nary a trace of wet in the basement. Oh, but not now, she's up to about 1.5 inches. The house is 50 years old. I hate old homes.

I actually see the basement concrete floor (after we ripped up the carpet) bubbling up water. Called Allstate and have a claim going. Real bummer. Just got back from the Seattle M/C show today and was planning the next M/C purchase for the wife and that'll probably need to take a back seat now. I'm not too concerned about the damage, but more worried about what a permanent fix may cost.

The only good thing... the dog thinks its her new watering bowl.

Crap.

 

[dcarver]

Don't think of it as a problem.

Consider the house now has one big assed jacuzzi!

 

[FLFJRS]

That happened to my folks a number of years ago and FEMA helped out with the repairs. Might check into what they have available. Just a thought.

 

[RaYzerman19]

If surface run-off, check that the grading next to the house slopes away. If that's OK and it's ground water, punch a hole in the floor near a wall and put in a sump pump..... backfill the sump with crushed stone so the water can reach the sump, then drill a number of 3/8" holes in the sump (plastic ones available). Your house may not have a weeping tile drainage around outside of the foundation, so grading is important (in any case).

 

[SLK50]

For the short term: +1 on the sump pump.

For the long term: you're likely gonna need a backhoe.

 

[TomInPA]

Fixes can be internal or external. Once grading and exterior drainage are addressed, the most common is to install a perimeter drain by sawing and breaking out a 1-foot perimeter around the basement, installing drain pipe to a sump, then backfill with washed gravel and repair the concrete. It's a permanent fix and is not highly technical nor expensive in terms of materials. Mainly unskilled labor. It is possible to DIY, but get some bids.

This is why those Californians don't have basements. So the rain that never falls won't end up in the house.

 

[Bustanut joker]

Ray and Tom are both on it. Rays is far simpler an should keep it relatively dry most of the time. Tom's fix thought time consuming will assure this will never happen again.

I had to do just that here 18 years ago and haven't had a water issue since.

You might also add downspout extensions to direct the water further form the foundation...

 

[LCB]

One other thing - not sure about your area but in these parts, your "fix" can't alter the drainage of the neighboring property. So I can't just divert the water accumulating on my property to the other side of the fence...

 

[creg-ny-baa]

If surface run-off, check that the grading next to the house slopes away. If that's OK and it's ground water, punch a hole in the floor near a wall and put in a sump pump..... backfill the sump with crushed stone so the water can reach the sump, then drill a number of 3/8" holes in the sump (plastic ones available). Your house may not have a weeping tile drainage around outside of the foundation, so grading is important (in any case).

Damn, Ray!

 

[Dodahdude]

And... if you are seeing Salmon you may have to pay a hatchery fee! I feel for you. We live in south central Kansas and our home has been flooded three times in twenty years. We just have farm feed cat fish swim through!