[jackislost]

Hello all. I have been researching for the last two weeks about how to best keep water from pooling in my crawl space after a big rain. I live in Little Rock Arkansas and this year we have gotten more rain then usua. In fact its been about 16 years since we had this much rain. I bought this house in January and it was built in the '60's. Not sure how long this water has been an issue, but I would assume for awhile.

After all this research I have learned I know nothing about french drains, and I use to install them for a living. I need some advice and someone to say Im either crazy or I am heading in the right direction. Please help.

So my house sits on a slope, slope is from west to east with a pretty decent grade. The west side of my house is built on a pad, while the east side is on pier and beam. I feel that the water is going under the slab and then arriving in my crawl space where I pump out with a sump pump when it rains. When it is not raining there is no standing or pooling water in the crawl space.

What I want to do is put a french drain on the west side of the house a foot or so before the slab. See pic of WestSideWhere.... jpg for trench already dug. Now mind you I did not dig this out, my buddy came over and dug it while I was away, but I can't complain it was free. So in that trench I want to do a french drain with sea ballast as my rock and 4 inch pvc 2 holed, with a sump pump at the furthest end (about 70 feet of trench). At the nearest end I want to put a water basin that will be fed by a concrete ditch (more or less, I am going to dig a small trench then outline it with concrete and have it dump into the basin which will then filter into the trench.

From the farthest end where the sump pump will go, I have a previous french drain pipe the past owner put in that I want to run a 1 1/2 inch schedule 40 pipe through, then under the furtherest part of the fence and eventually down the hill another 100-130 feet which is where a garden will be and the water will either filter into garden or one day into a holding tank for future use in the garden. The total run from sump pump to where I want water to go is probably 200-250 feet. From the pump it would go uphill about 70 feet then the rest would all be downhill.

This is the only way to get this water to a lower spot. In the photo at the closest point all that is behind is uphill, and a driveway to the east. So the sump pump would be at the end of the ditch where it would have to make one 90 degree turn to head north towards the fence. My questions are:

1) How big of a pump should I use?

2) How far can I expect a pump to pump? Is over 200 feet too far?

3) How deep should I drop the pump down?

4) What should I encase the pump in. I found some 12 inch in diameter round cylinders that are about 12 inches tall as well, will they work?

5)Will or should I just grade the trench, drop a few inches of rock on top of the weed fabric, then pipe, then more rock and then fold the fabric over with more rock on top? I was going to do rock all the way up with no dirt on top.

6) Suggestion on type of pump (brand).

7) Do I need a sock fabric to put over the 4 inch pvc?

Ok, I have added two extra pictures just for a reference. The back yard one is from my deck which is looking east, to the right would be south. The other is from the northeast side of the property. Just gives an example of the slope. I actually own the two properties east of this one where the house sits where I want to do the french drain. The property next to me is empty, and the one after that my dad lives in the house. I have other drainage that will go in front yard that will be piped towards the empty property and eventually to the crib where I will knock out the curb and drain into street.

Ok I know that is a lot of info, but I just can't seem to figure this out and I have a backhoe coming this Wednesday, and rock as well and I got to get the rest of the material bought so I am desperate. I just keep reading and reading and can't seem to find answers.

I appreciate any info that you can provide, and please allow me to say Happy Fathers Day to all you fathers out there. Thanks

Jack

 

[Bondo]

Ayuh,..... Yer goin' a long difficult route to fix the water problem,....

I'd just cut a surface swale across the top of the hi-side of the house, to move the water around the house, 'n let it flow downhill Away from the house,....

No pumps, No power, just let nature runs it's course, downhill,....

 

[jackislost]

Thats one to do it yeah. But, my property on the side where the trench is it flows north to south, for about 150 feet, then from south to north for about 150 feet. Meeting right in the middle of that trench you see that was dug. And where that trench ends and the fence starts, right behind the fence and the house, is a huge tree that I don't have the physical strength to pick ax may around the roots. So I really feel this is my only way, plus I like the idea of one day having about a 1000 gallon holding tank down by garden that will hold the water that I pump from this system and will water my garden. I don't have any other ways of getting water out there, so I think its really more of killing 2 birds with one stone. Diverting water from house out to a place that has no current means of getting extra water. If I want extra H2O out there, I got to run a pipe or a long hose to the area that will be a garden. I will try and get out there here in a bit and take some better pics. I just had those on my computer and when I made that post at about 3am CST it was a little too dark to go snap pictures.

 

[jackislost]

Here is my best for a map and the way the property runs and water runs. There is a legend on their hopefully you don't get lost trying to figure it out. Don't worry about the large black boxes those are areas that were edited out. Thanks

 

[Bondo]

But, my property on the side where the trench is it flows north to south, for about 150 feet, then from south to north for about 150 feet. Meeting right in the middle of that trench you see that was dug. And where that trench ends and the fence starts, right behind the fence and the house, is a huge tree that I don't have the physical strength to pick ax may around the roots.

Ayuh,..... The swale don't have to be stringline straight, go Around the trees,....

The only requirement of a swale is that the bottom of it needs to continuously be droppin' towards where ya want the water to go,....

If ya want, dig a pond down by the future garden, 'n end the swale into it,....

For the side of the house where the trench was dug,...
I'd fill in that poorly dug trench, 'n move the bottom of the swale out to 'bout the 10' mark, 'n run it along side the house that far from the foundation, 'n make the corner, After the tree,....

My preferred tool would be a 4 ton class Dozer,.....
Looks to be a 1/2 day, maybe a whole day job,...

 

[jackislost]

Ok I don't know that a swale will work at 10 ft If you look at picture labeled fence line, that is where my property ends, probably 8 feet off house. I own the 2 properties on the other side of the house with the trench. I also took a picture inside the trench to show the slope. Then the picture labeled FrontPartFence would be basically my western most part of property down that fence line. Also shows the sloping driveway and front yard. Back yard 2 is more just for the slope and then the one downhill is where the garden will be behind the big playground. I figured I throw all these in for my eye appeal. I am afraid the swale would be tough to do just because I really only have 6-8 feet off my house till the other property starts. While there is not a house there now, nor probably will there ever be, but on the off chance there is and I have a swale on their property then it will be dug out and I am back to square one. Ok, thanks for the help you have provided and have a great day, and if it applies happy fathers day.

 

[Bondo]

Ayuh,.... Is it Yer fence,,..??

Put the bottom of the swale, At the fence line,....

You should have a droppin' grade up near the house, to keep water away from the foundation, 6/ 8' ain't much, but way better that a surface that pitches into the house,....
Easier to divert, than deal with at the foundation,...

Have ya shot any grades with a transit,..??

If not, go rent a lazer level, 'n see how much pitch ya got,
n where,....

 

[jackislost]

Haven't shot any grades. If I want a sloping grade away from my house then the roof would be covered in dirt to get the slope. MY property is about the fourth lot before you get to the top of the hill. My other 2 properties are 5th and 6th. The 5th one is empty and collects lots of water, whereas the 6th one is slightly slanted and water just runs off it. Mine is fine the one where my current house is. There is just a small part in the front that collects water but the rest stays dry., minus the crawl space after a good rain.

Before my buddy got crazy and killed that ditch, the pitch to the house was probably from 6 foot out it dropped to the house about 30 inches. I wish I had a picture of it before it got mangled. If you look at the picture of the front of the house and notice that wasteland with the ivy and tree on the left, well thats similar to what it looked like before the ditch got dug. Except there was grass and no ivy or trees. There was a french drain already there when my buddy dug that ditch, but the previous owner didn't know what he was doing and had water trying to go out the backyard which slopes towards the front. Then they put a concrete pad about 4 inches wide to try and run the water out the back yard but same problem the water would not leave. Where that 2nd picture is taken from above in the trench. That is right about the point where the v of the land meets. I wish I could do the land some justice on a picture. If I go rent a lazer level to shoot grades, I will just be staring at the level thinking what the hell do i do with this. I will go out in the morning and see if I can pull some kind of numbers out my arse that might help do the lay of the land some justice. Until then.