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How Water Enters Your Crawl Space
WATER PROBLEMS?
We Can Help!
Water comes in a Crawl Space from a number of ways. The most common entrance is through the wall where the fisrt course of brick or block is laid. It also rises up through the ground if the water table is high and can create a pressure hole, where water literally shoots up becuase there is so much pressue in the ground.
To help remove water from your crawl space, look at the information below.
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It helps to understand the construction of your homes foundation and understand that there is more than one type of foundation wall, but here are the basics:
Most foundation walls sit on top of the footer. The footer is poured concrete usually 16 to 24 inches thick. It runs level around the perimeter of your home to support the house.
Block and brick are used to build the foundation wall.The first course of brick or block sits in a bed of mortar used to level the first course. It here where most water enters the crawl space even if the outside has been sealed. Water also enters through the mortar used between bricks and block on up the wall anywhere the wall is below grade (underground).
To collect the water, we need a system of gravel and perforated pipe along the inside of the crawl space with a discharge point for the water to escape. We like to use a sump pump for the discharge becuase it sits so deep in the crawl space, usually as deep as the bottom of the footer. The pump is fast, queit and very reliable. Seeing a sump pump in a crawl space means The Water Problem has been Solved!
You'll find in most cities in the northern part of the counrty,that a sump pump is now code for building a basement. That's how reliable they are! They are standard in building practice.
Code here in the Carolina's simply says there must be an exit point for the water in a crawl space, so builders put a hole in the wall, which is usually too high and water must flood up to escape. Go Figure!
Foundation Tile (footer Tile) with a sump pump will help keep your crawl space dry!
Working in your crawl space can be a difficult task. There is very little room to move around, let alone trying to dig or excavate along your foundation footer.
Here's What We Do and How We Do it:
Installing Foundations Drains (footer Tiles)
1st we dig a trench along the foundatin wall down to just below the footer. The trench is a shovel wide and down to an average depth of about 18" inches. (yours could be deeper - depends on where the footer is.)
2nd - we grade out the excess soil across the crawl space floor leaving a small mound to help force the water into our system.
3rd- we bring in the gravela nd the pipe. This is usually done one bucket at a time. Very labor intense. Depending on the length of the wall we working on, it might be 1yard or more of 3/4 inch washed gravel commonly known as #67 stone. The buckets are 5 gallon type and we carefully move them over and under the pipes, around the piers until we get to the area we are working on. This process repeats!
4th - we then lay the perforated pipe (holes down) into a base of gravel at the bottom of the trench, then cover the pipe with gravel as well as the footer water ledge. The holes in the pipe point down because this in the way the system works, water floods upward through the voids in the gravel and into the holes of the pipe. If the holes are pointing upward, the water table simply rising way too high, and the trench holds too much water.
5th - We then cover the new trench with a vapor barrier and its done.
Installing the Sump Pump
1st - we dig out the area where the sump pit will be install. This is usually the lowest spot of the crawl space because we want water to flow down hill in the pit. The Pit depth is 24" inches and its it surrounded by gravel to promote proper drainage.
2nd - we remove the soil we just dug out for the sump pit. This is done one bucket at a time. very labor intense.
3rd - we install the sump pump. The pump sits at the bottom of the sump pit so as to allow water to collect and the pump will lift it up and out of the crawl space. Next we attach the discharge pipe which is 1 1/2 inch PVC and a check valve to prevent back flow. The pipe comes from the pump up and out through a solid lid cover where make cut a hole for the pipe to come through. this cover is very important. It stops debris and othert hings from falling into the pit and also reduces radon gas emissions!
Cuttingte Core Through The Foundation Wall
1st - we line up where the pump discharge line will come out through the wall. Then we use a Carbon Concrete Core Bit attached to a powerful Rotary Hammer Drill. The core cuts a perfect hole 2" inches in diameter. The 1 1/2 PVC slide right througn sitting tightly in the wall. No need to caulk or anything.
We can cut through brick, block and even the footer made of solid concrete.
Attaching the Discharge Line to the pipes outside
1st - we dig up the downspout drain line (if you have one) and we make a good solid connection underground to this pipe using the proper fittings. (This is not just a hole knocked into the pipe)
2nd - we test the pump discharge and check for leaks. If all is good, then we back fill and its done.
 | Sump Pumps | A sump pump is the best way to remove water. Its fast, queit and very reliable.
We use Zoeller Pumps. Most commonly, Model M53 submersible with a 1/3 Horsepower motor, 1 ½ inch discharge line, and check valve to prevent back flow. To Date, we have not every been back to replace one of these pumps! That's not to say they last forever, but they do last a long long time!
|  | Sump Pits |
A Sump Pit (the liner) is 24" deep and surrounded by gravel to promote drainage into the pit. The pit is large enough to allow water to gather for the pump to lift it out. It comes witha solid lid cover to to help reduce moisture and radon gas!
|  | Cores |
The Core is a hole drilled through the foundatin wall. The hole is usually 2" which allows the 1 <sup>½</sup> inch PVC pipe to be inserted. Its a perfect fit! We can core walls, foundations, and curbs!
|  | Pipe |
PVC Pipe is our choice for most drain lines. The solid pipe has smooth inside walls allowing water to easily flow through it. Size depends on the application. Downspout Drain Lines and Yard Drains, usually use 4 inch pipe. Storm Drains might use 6 inch or even 8 inch. |  | | We also use Corrugated Pipe. This pipe is strong and comes in 100 foot rolls. It comes inSolid and perforated (holes in it). We use it for Yard Drains, French Drains, Foundation Drains and encase (surround) the pipe in gravel to help promote drainage.
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  | Trenching | Trenching is done with a Ditch Witch, a machine used to trench fast and effectively to the proper depth. We don't make a mess! We lay our tarps to catch the soil. After we Back Fill the trench, we move the excess to low spots or foundation walls and grade it out.
We Also Hand Dig. Shovels and Picks are used to help prevent damage to Utilities, such as Telephone, Cable, Gas, Electric and Sprinklers.
We call to locate utilities on every job. Utitlies are marked with paint and flags showing us where they are and allows us to adjust our installation accordingly..
|   | Concrete Work | Driveways, Basement Floors, Side Walks, Patio's.. Concrete is not a problem for us to cut and repalce. We have the right tools for any job.
When we need to trench a line through a driveway, we simply cut out a trench about 8 inches wide, remove the concrete, dig down to install our pipe , backfill and re-pour the concrete. No Worries! You'll be surprised how good it looks when we are finished.
Concrete is actually one of the easiest things to trench through when you have the right equipment. No need to pay higher prices like others charge because they have to rent equipment.
We Cut Concrete Everyday and We'll Do It Right The First Time!
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| | Crawl Space Work
The Footer Tile
Pipe & Gravel
Sump Pumps
Sump Pits
Core the Wall
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Posted by: admin on Friday, April 10, 2009 - 03:48 AM
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