Water in the Basement

mswalker · 06-13-2005, 03:00 PM

I have a 5 foot wide walk out with a sliding door and I am having problems with water entering my basement when it rains hard. The drain that is at the bottom of the walk out is getting stopped up by leaves and other debris. I clear the debris on a regular basis, but there is no stopping the debris that enters the area when it rains. I need a solution to cover this area or have my builders to come and fix the problem. I thought maybe an awning would resolve the problem but I think it would end up breaking in the rain. Help???? Suggestions, advice any help will do.

Thank you,
:confused:

housedocs · 06-14-2005, 08:33 AM

Sounds like an awning would be a viable option, but if this is a fairly new place & still under warranty, you should contact the builder to take care of the problem.

mswalker · 06-21-2005, 09:52 PM

I checked into awnings but it will not resolve the problem because I will have to roll the awning in when it begins to storm or rain really hard.

As for the warranty, yes the house is still under warranty, well at least until July 1, 2005. Do you have any idea what they (the builder) can do to fix the problem? What should I look out for?

Thanks

Quote:

Originally Posted by housedocs

Sounds like an awning would be a viable option, but if this is a fairly new place & still under warranty, you should contact the builder to take care of the problem.

pipeguy · 06-22-2005, 11:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mswalker

I am having problems with water entering my basement when it rains hard. The drain that is at the bottom of the walk out is getting stopped up by leaves and other debris.

If the home is new then demand that the builder fix the problem.. The drain system is not properly designed if the basement is in constant danger of taking on water during storm events. Require that the builder install a drain fixture and pipe sized large enough that normal debris like leaves won't clog it. You will need to have a drain that empties 'to daylight' as opposed to a french drain or drywell. If that can't be accomplished then consider a sump pump that can pass solids such as leaves. The downside of a pump is that it doesn't work when the power goes out and will eventually require maintenance/replacement.

mswalker · 06-23-2005, 05:53 PM

Thanks so much! I will print this and let my husband take care of it from here. Thank you!

Quote:

Originally Posted by pipeguy

If the home is new then demand that the builder fix the problem.. The drain system is not properly designed if the basement is in constant danger of taking on water during storm events. Require that the builder install a drain fixture and pipe sized large enough that normal debris like leaves won't clog it. You will need to have a drain that empties 'to daylight' as opposed to a french drain or drywell. If that can't be accomplished then consider a sump pump that can pass solids such as leaves. The downside of a pump is that it doesn't work when the power goes out and will eventually require maintenance/replacement.

plumguy · 06-23-2005, 06:35 PM

If you end up going the pump route which would be unfortunate they do make them with a battery back-up.

You could also find out more about where the water goes and maybe put a different type strainer(cover) on the drain that will allow more debris to enter the pipe and not clog it. It may risk the pipe clogging but that would depend on it's size,pitch,length and where this drain is terminating.