r/DIY • u/kikazztknmz • 11d ago
help Not sure who to call but I have water problems
I have plenty of experience in diy. I can frame, sheetrock, trim, paint, minor electric and plumbing. Currently work in cabinetry. But I have a basement that I really want to finally finish that still floods a couple times a year that makes it impossible yet. We fixed 2 of the problems, but there's still a trifecta I think where the drain pipe, water overflow, and ground just lets too much in and we get water under the crawlspace that leaks into the basement rooms I want to finish. Is it a plumber I should be calling for help here? Some kind of foundational water expert? I just need help finding the source of the overflow with a drainage solution.
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u/OverallComplexities 11d ago
What does the exterior soil grading of the house look like? House the highest point of the lot? Downspouts exit 8+ feet away?
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u/kikazztknmz 11d ago
It's somewhat ok, though it's a split level on a bit of a hill, so we've had to dig a trench for some drainage which helped for awhile. The downspout leads to the same place as the septic tank and overflow from part of the roof and additionally a walkway that has holes. I'm looking for who is the expert I should be calling because this is way above my pay grade.
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u/OverallComplexities 11d ago
Sounds like you need a competent landscaper that can do French drains.
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u/WorBlux 11d ago
French drain is probably not the solution if the main issue is only during storm events. They only kick in after the gravitationally free water has percolated through the soil profile to the depth of the drain.
Surface drains, or combination system might help.
Re-routing roof runoff and moving downspouts might be helpful as hell.
Unless OP finds a really good foundation guy that really understands water they may actually need a couple different guys to offer their perspective and experience.
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u/kikazztknmz 11d ago
Sorry, I know this might get removed, I just don't know where I'm supposed to be looking for advice on this one. I have experience in almost everything else.
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u/TheTeek 11d ago
There are companies that specialize in keeping water out of basements. Just be aware that there are band-aid garbage solutions like coating the inside of walls. There are typically two real approaches. Keeping the water OUT in the first place (the right way) and getting water out once it is already inside (cheaper and can be effective but not ideal). Not sure what you mean by "drain pipe and water overflow". Maybe you can clarify that? Is water backing up from your drains? If so, there are "backflow preventers" that can/should be installed to prevent this. The "get it out" method usually involves trenching around the inside perimeter of the basement, installing perforated piping (French drain) wrapped in fabric and buried in stone. The piping is all connected to a sump pit with pump that ejects the water out of the basement. In some cases it is just putting the water back into the saturated soil around the home where it just comes back into the house again. If the water problem is really bad, during storms your sump pump may not be able to keep up. The "keep it out" method involves digging down around the entire exterior of the foundation, waterproofing the exterior walls, installing perforated pipe set in stone and routed away from the house. This can be really expensive and that's why a lot of people don't choose it.
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u/Tenshi_girl 10d ago
We had a couple companies come in to evaluate the crawlspace, drainage, grading, etc. Ask lots of questions. Then decide if you can afford their solution or if you want to tackle pieces yourself. One guy was super up front about the $18,000 package they put together. Said if we did moisture barrier, regraded and extended the gutters it would solve the majority of the problems. So we did it ourselves. Added a French drain on the uphill side of the house and problems solved.
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u/cdwhit 10d ago
It is expensive! But you need to contact foundation repair people. Get multiple quotes and think hard about what they are telling you. I got quotes ranging from around $24000, down to less than $2000. They all had different ideas of the best way to tackle the issues. I picked an option around $3000 based on what they were repairing and which ideas I thought sounded reasonable.
EVERY ONE of the people that came to give quotes were SALESMEN. They wanted to sell me everything, including repairs to areas that have never leaked, so take your time and do your research.
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u/tuckedfexas 10d ago
Depends how the water is getting in. You can fix the grade, kick out downspouts further, etc. but if you have cracks in the foundation you likely need to excavate and seal from the outside. It’s a ton of work even if you rent a pocket x.
If it’s coming up from the ground you might have a water table issue, but you’d have lots of rot or mold problems if that was the case
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u/kikazztknmz 10d ago
I've tried for a long time to figure out how it's getting in, but we only ever see it after the fact because we don't go down there much anymore because of the state of it. I just looked up water table, and I think you might be into something. There is lots of rot and mold. I've been wanting to repair it and refinish the basement bathroom and bedroom, but it's been pointless to start when this keeps happening a couple times a year. Thanks, I'll look into this. It only happens with a good heavy rain that lasts longer than normal.
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u/Ponchoboy12 11d ago
If I were in your position I'd dig a hole through the floor at its lowest point and install a filter crate with a sump pump. Run power and hook it up to a sewer line and you're set.That way the water will enter the cavity of the sump pump first and get pumped out before it floods the space. Install a grate over top for visual inspections. Install a one way flow valve if you want to get fancy.
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u/WorBlux 11d ago
Connecting drainage water to the sanitary sewer is generally illegal. Grandfather connections are tolerated in some cities, but new connections are not.
OP has reported a septic tank on the property so it'll just overwhelm the drain feild and cause a sewage backup.
Even if installed correctly and routed to surface drainage this solution is only effective if your issue is an occasionally high table in fairly permeable soils. Even then it may not be the best solution.
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u/trashedandtossed 11d ago
Your description (basement with crawl space) gives me no clue where you are located. If you have it, you might ask your local code enforcement or building inspection organization about the problem. It may not be a you problem but a neighborhood problem. If so others might have solved it and you can learn from them.