How to Prevent Rain Water From Entering Your Basement
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- Опубликовано: 17 окт 2017
- Water can ruin basement carpets, furniture, and stored items in addition to creating a health hazard due to mold. Sometimes basement water intrusion is caused by how water is controlled outside of the house. This video presents the most common methods that outside water can get into the basement and how to minimize the potential for water intrusion.
If you're not in the industry and you've got to learn how all of this stuff works, I feel for you. I've got so many things to fix on my own house that complied because of my complete ignorance of how water works. I should be able to save it before things start going into the territory of beyond my capabilities, but it's still going to be a lot of work for a guy who's not getting any younger.
What the heck did people do before youtube? DIY vids like this that are short and sweet while being packed with information are extremely appreciated.
You guys get one of my rare likes and subscriptions. Thanks.
We talked to our neighbors and older, more experienced relatives, who weren't a-holes or wary of becoming friendly. The neighborhood family-owned hardware store would give excellent locally-sourced and relevant information. Lol.
@thedude, I'm in exactly the same boat. I've watched a ton of RUclips videos and I've interviewed landscapers to do the work. All of them came, looked around for a little bit, and gave me their opinion and/or proposal. Most were unable to ask me the right questions, which means they couldn't properly diagnose the problem. If you don't know what the problem is, how are you going to fix it? Crazy. I now believe that most contractors are would be criminals. Sorry, I know that's harsh, but I believe it to be true. The reason I'm telling you this is that there's light at the end of the tunnel. There is a website called NextDoor, and it is a social media platform for people in your local area. Long story short, I met a person who is a civil engineer with a specialty in storm-water management. She was the complete opposite of all the contractors. She asked a ton of questions. She saw that I knew the particulars of my property and all the little things that add up to one complex problem. She told me stuff that I suspected to be true, but could never get a landscaper to talk about because they are not good at communicating. She also agreed that there are way, way, way too many crooks out there robbing people who give their cash to the first person because they are scared of wrecking their home value. Anyway, sorry to rant. Hope you are having good luck.
Thanks for sharing and thank RUclips for posting, we needed this 20 years ago, so happy for new technology!
Thanks so much for this advice since I have a problem with water getting into the basement wall of my house. I think I can fix it now!
Great video! Simple to understand and covers a lot of details about managing rainwater around a home
Very informative and well explained. Thank you!
Thank you for the great information!!! I really appreciate this and will be fixing many of these issues I have with my home!!! Thanks again!!!
This video was so helpful. Thank you for keeping it short and to the point.
This was so HELPFUL. Thank you! Finally something useful on RUclips.
Best overall video on this topic i have seen yet. Thank you Sirs.
Thanks for the tips. Well there goes my Spring fixing slopes and drainage issues.
Thanks! Very good info.
This was very helpful! Thank you...
I can say that all this is good until a 4-5 rain or extended periods of rain. The whole ground is saturated past any diversion at the surface.
Great information y’all. Thank you.
Thank you so much for sharing your great advice
Very informative! Thank you!!!
re 3:00 What is the effect of having what looks like a 'curb', that would presumably trap at least some of the water that should flow freely away from the house?
re 6:30 It might help to visualize the water as generally draining thru the ground to 'pile up' on the original un-disturbed & relatively impermeable sub-soil, and then flowing whichever way that sub-soil surface is inclined. Only the heaviest rainfall or the continued rain after the soil is saturated, will follow the surface /grass incline.
re 7:50 A better solution than soaking your soil, is a true barrier, attached to the foundation, & extending as far away from the foundation as the foundation is deep, and covered with a stable & compact 4-6" overlay of topsoil for the further stabilization of good grass root growth.
Excellent information. Thank you.
Very clear and easy to understand ~ I see a lot of this problem happening to my house
Very clear and helpful.
Great info, fellas! Thank you!
Super helpful. Thank you!
Great video ! Valuable information! Thank you !
Thanks so much for this, you guys helped me alot
Great info! Thank you!
Thanks, I'd been wondering whether I should fill the crack where the ground has pulled away from the foundation, and now I know not to.
Thanks very much for this useful video!
Thank you for the video. Is there a reason to put a french drain around the perimeter of the home and then improve the grading with plastic sheeting? Will that help keep the water away from the basement? Thank you.
Thanks for the video it’s very helpful
Awesome video, thanks very much!
Very good info! Thank you
I particularly like the plastic sheeting someone put down. This would seem better than dirt alone.
Even better one step further put down a lot a black and white newspaper (not color add inserts) and you will keep weeds out if you put down a few good layers. Biodegradable and breaks down slowly!
@@RA82828 it definitely is and a year or two later and it's done a better job than any drainage system I've put in. What I did was cut a tarp into roughly 2' wide sections and length of 12'. I made sure it had a slight slope to it away from the foundation. Even better, with an old paint brush, I put about a two inch line of roofing tar along the foundation where the soil meets the foundation and stuck the first two inches of the tarp to this. It works perfectly. Put anything you want on top of the tarp. We put rock for low maintenance. If you put soil, you need to make it reasonably deep. If I had a new house built for me, I'd have the contractors do this all along the foundation of the entire house.
@@RA82828 it's interesting in that, if you think about it and consider the expense and scope of work that goes into other waterproofing systems, this is surprisingly very simple and cheap and I'm surprised I haven't seen other videos like this. It's sort of like crossing the street in a straight line, simply from one side to the other in a crosswalk, vs traveling up to the next intersection, doing a U-turn, stopping at traffic lights, minding the school bus and finally reaching your destination on the other side.
Sage advise thank you
Great video .
great video thk u so much! where r u the neighborhood looks very nice!
Extremely helpful!
Great information. Very helpful!
great video. I have a question on the roof I've got concrete tiles, the roof has a T section and as result it has that corner which collects the water over metal thing which is 30 cm wide. I tend to believe that when water drops from the sky the small water drops flying different directions fly under the tiles on the wood and then drop from the wood into the house. As result I have some not a big leaks in the roof. I'm looking some anti splash protector. Anything you can recommend? Or if thats small leaks I should ignore?
Great info!!!
@ 6:08 you have the gutter run off, running directly into your lawn. Will this by chance ruin the grass, will it remove all organic matter from the lawn when it rains? Thinking of doing the same thing.
Thanks! I have a question will the snow melt downwards too or we have to remove from the rocks?
Motivating video. Thanks. 2022
would it be bad to have a lower area below and outside the window well ring? currently planning on doing this . I built a pit beyond the wondow well and steel ring. The well has stone 5 inches below the crawl space vent but out side the window well ring ring theres a pit some 10 inches deeper but connected with the same ston some24 inches deep.. Bottom has fabric. the outside of we;; has faric at bottom 10inches deeper filled with stone then fabric then dirt on top outside ring. Noone has ever done this or answered on this practice. Curious on ur thoughts. the stone is deep and slated away. is it going to have enough hydraulic psi to push water back towards house vent for crawl space even when its only three blocks deep. Sorrry to anyoe if thiis doesnt make sense. ask questions if need be
My parents live in garage and water is been getting in there cause we also have a negative slope towards the garage . We have concrete with the slope towards garahr . the concrete is about 3 to 4 feet wide. I was wondering if instead of doing what u doing in video I can built a porch all along the garage with a gutter to protect foundation from water?
I used roll roof membrane instead of the plastic sheeting under my rock. Curved the edge up the wall and used PL to glue it to the foundation.... works great. No weeds.
I wish the guys gave you feed back on this. It sounds good, better than the plastic the roof membrane does give you alot of ground coverage. Its roughly $69.00 at lowes. Its also thicker. My house was built in 1972. It's a 5 level backsplit. I'm in the middle of doing my research. The materials we have now is so different from back then. What you did makes sense. Just one question so I can understand your steps correctly. You used the pl glue and glued along side the foundation. Then put the roof membrane ? Did you use clay or soil and built up your slope or did you just use rocks? When did you do this project?
Patsy Ghannie I did this 6 yrs ago. Yes, I got a few pickup trucks of dirt and sloped out from the foundation 3 feet. If you have basement windows, how’s the time to put in your new wells and covers. Then I just simply cut the roofing at 4’ long rolls, ( I started with 8’ rolls), fold back 1’, and lay on the freshly sloped soil up against the foundation. I had a chalk line on the foundation approx 6” up from the new level of sloped soil. Apply generous amounts of PL to the foundation in sections you can handle, then flip the membrane up and press against the wall. Do whatever you have to do to get a good seal. At this point you should have a 3’ sloped area covered with membrane and securely struck to the foundation. Now go back to Lowe’s and get your landscape blocks or pavers and install. Remember, you now have a “water slide” all along the wall, so you need to provide a way for water to escape to the soil past the edging or pavers before you fill with rock. Here’s a huge hint at this point.... buy the heavy smooth river rock or similar.... something that cannot be blown out by your yard blower! If you have any exposed membrane above your rock height that isn’t glued down simply cut it off with a utility knife. For maintenance... I spray the rocks in early spring, mid summer, and sometime in October for weeds and bugs, blow out the grass clippings. This also eliminated sugar ants! Have fun and be well.
I had a very similar idea about making a water slide shape partly up the foundation but never thought of tar paper? Is that it? Anyway glue it to the foundation? What glue? 30 years of water in the basement. Its getting to be just too much Thank you
@@great-garden-watch hey there… yes go to the big box store, then find someone in the building materials. Tell them your looking for cheap rubber roofing membrane and see if they sell it in a 4’ roll. If not, get the 8’ roll, but expect some waste. Also while you have his attention, ask him where the PL construction adhesive is. It should be with the caulking and such. Ask him to pick the one to stick that membrane to whatever your foundation is. Get a caulking gun if you don’t have one. Remember Ms Nancy you must have a slope AWAY from the house at least 3’ out. If you don’t have a good slope away from the house you will create a puddle right there next to the foundation. This method works very well for me, if you have questions just ask here.
@@trevorjarvis3050 I have issues it must be water getting in basically at the very bottom of my basement wall. There's a crack it looks like where the retaining wall joins to the main part of the house, and that seems to be how it's getting in at the corner of the basement. Not coming down the interior wall, but appears to be flowing in "from the bottom." My gutters are good, checked and doublechecked that (perimeter drain from downspout). Do you think that maybe bringing that slope like you're talking, 4ft or maybe even 5ft out may remedy the issue? Gosh I'd hate to have to dig up 8 ft deep and seal that crack, but if I have to then I guess I will.
What about limestone quarter down instead of soil for sloping around the house so that it doesn't wash down to the weeping tiles?
Does the code require a drain or sump pump in the well?
3:29 Dont think we should use the polycarbonate sheet if we have a french drain system?
I have a corner house...city built up 2 streets three times with no curbs or sidewalks. My house sits -15 degrees from the street. My covered carport has three 6x6 posts holding up the carport roof. PROBLEM= for 18 years I have begged everyone and anyone for help with the water flooding the carport and my AC wiring on the house. The fire department will not bring me sandbags. I have spent over the years $2,000.00 in gravel, 8" sewer pipe dug down and that did not help at all. NOW my concrete is crumbling and splitting and worried about my three posts pulling on the house. I am a single senior that is disabled with an adult daughter with no legs. Just need a little direction and I thought about building out of concrete a 20 foot speed bump to stop the water. Thank you, everyone. Gimpy in Indy
Informative video. Note to the home owners: those downspout extensions are very tacky! If you need them that far from the house then spend some $ and bury them. And pay for a custom window well cover don't use a cheap ill-fitting type.
I do not think they are tacky. Additionally, if you chose to bury an extension in a freezing climate, make the connection detachable. (You will need to re-route it in the winter)
Never bury a downspout. Class dismissed.
@@243wayne1 You can with PVC but it needs to have an exit and make sure it has proper fall (at least one quarter bubble).
I'm in lower michigan. Who do I call to help me with this project?
I buried my sump hose and it froze. I had to unbury it and poured hot water on it so it couldn't back up into the house.
Gow high up can new soil e built against the foundation?
basments are real headaches
where can i buy the plastic thing that surrounds the house, whats the name of it?
I don't know anything about the topic, but since its not recommended to fill the hole with soil, can you fill it with cement and then pile up with soil? My basement flood pretty bad recently. I appreciate any input, thanks.
It's hard to say without knowing the specifics of your property. Something as simple as bad gutters and downspouts can cause your basement to flood.
How long stay the sheet ?
Those downspouts…..good for drainage but kind of funny looking.
Lawn grading -- I have now watched several videos telling me that the water should not be allowed to settle near the house. I'd sure love to find a video that shows me HOW I can do this. I'm sure there is more to it than shoveling dirt in the direction of the problem. As for this particular video -- those plastic sheets shift around and the edges reveal themselves over time AND weeds will eventually poke through. Then you have a mess. Also, that gravel will travel out into the lawn and become projectiles as you mow. Also, I"m supposed to go to the expense of keeping my lawn "uniformly moist" -- that's a solution to dirt pulling away from the house?
The few people I know who have solved the "keep all soil on the property within a moisture tolerance" problem are genuinely wealthy, and they use a combination of sensors and automated sprinkler systems. Just eyeballing the grass and using a hose or a static sprinkler is, imo, more likely to just bump your water utility bill. Also, I find it odd that you can pack new dirt up against your foundation to correct grading, but you can't pack soil that's shifting away back. Seeing the dirt moving away if you have plastic and rocks is also an issue I'd like to see explicitly addressed.
@@alleni2476 My thoughts exactly. I have noticed more videos that contradict what they tell you from minute to minute. Very frustrating. I am in a state of panic trying to get a French drain installed with rain coming into the open ditch even though it's covered with heavy sheeting, digging out boulders, large rock every inch of the dig. I have water funneling into the basement since I bought this money pit. Black mold making my daughter ill and the stress is almost unbearable. I also found termites. Eight years of hell and I don't know how much more I can take. I watched this video thinking these guys had the answers. I guess no one has the answers that's why I'm doing it myself. So much for paying for home inspections I should have just thrown the money out the window. Totally useless. Sorry to vent to a total stranger but I couldn't understand what I was watching and you were the only person who picked up on it. I love the moisture tolerance he speaks of I was expecting a plus or minus tolerance on the moisture levels. Houses collapse here so needless to say I'm in a panic. I have grown to despise the mountains. I'm on a wing and a prayer now.
@@alleni2476 the reason you can add soil to grade, but not when the soil drys out and pulls away is that when grading the soil should still be moist. No void next to foundation is being filled. When soil drys it shrinks. If you just back fill it when it starts raining again the soil expands to it's original state. The added soil now puts added preasure on the foundation. As to ware when you are just adding soil to grade you are not fill voids. You are building up, Not in.
@@williamallen7836 Appreciate the clarification. Any tips for a Michigander on a budget? Would it be better to cover areas that dry with fabric and mulch (my front flower bed is plastic barrier and brick nuggets, and the soil underneath is always moist when I maintenance), or till the dirt and slowly moisten before filling in?
@@alleni2476 I have mixed emotions on doing it with plastic and river rocks, which is what I have now. I have fought water in the basement I think in every location of this "house from hell". 25 times! It's obvious that the previous owners (17 years ago) packed dirt up against the foundation as I can see the foundation wall has a slight tilt inward on the back side. That issue I'm unsure what to do with although I've heard of removing the excess soil and using Jack's to slowly move the foundation back slightly when the soil is completely dry.
In regards to the plastic, that to me seems counterproductive. I would think a higher dollar fabric cover designed to keep weeds out but allow moisture in would keep a more uniform level of moisture within all the soil while being covered by my river rocks. I'm going to put all the rocks back on 1/2 of the front of my house. Then move the soil so it slopes away from the foundation. But not pack more soil against the foundation except in a small area where there simply isn't any soil. In other words, I want the soil the same height and level across that 1/2 of the house. Then ensure it all slopes away from the house.
By using a fabric material versus plastic, my soil should remain wet or dry uniformly. Thus not putting any undue pressure on the foundation. Hard to describe. But on one end of the house, I have 8 inches of the foundation showing from the soil to the siding. And it's like that to the basement window sill and for another 3 feet pass that window sill. Then it starts to decline rapidly until there is like 13 inches from the siding to the soil line. So I'm assuming I need to add another 5 inches around the foundation. Not packed tightly but just put there so I have some uniformity so the soil around the foundation is level and consistent.
I have a 2 foot overhang from the roof, baseboards, and then another 6" of guttering. So I want the slope to begin almost immediately from the house. I believe plumbers slope piping 1/4" per foot or 1" for each 4 foot section inside a home so I plan on using that philosophy.
Sorry so long. If anyone thinks i'm nuts, please tell me! LOL!
Will planting flowers in window wells cause foundation problems?
Moisture in crawl
Is it ok to bury the siding with dirt to keep water away from the home. Forming a down hill away from the house?
it may be tempting to do so, but it will trap moisture and potentially could cause rot
So how far down should we stay from the siding?
What type of soil do u guys use for the slope ?
doesn't matter, just compact it.
@@liembui4239 it DOES MATTER.
Small particle size is less water permeable, so clay is good, sand is bad.
Expansive soils can pull away, trap moisture, and put extra pressure on the foundation walls.
I use and recommend what is called "class 5" where I live. It is a mixture of small rock, sand, and clay. It is considered semi-permeable, so it doesn't trap water, and also sheds (most) water, given a sloped surface. It is compactible, easy to install, and cheap.
@@cheshstyles I don't consider sand as clay.
@@liembui4239 lol i mean you're not wrong
Any tips on finding the extra hours in the day to get all this done? 🥴
What's the name of that plastic landscape blanket?
Mark OnTheBlueRidge So it is best to put plastic on the soil, then the rocks? So many other videos say just dirt then rock. Ty
@Mark, so will pond liner be the best choice over some garden fabric/plastic sheet?
@Mark OnTheBlueRidge Now that's what I wanted to see. The textile fabric and not the cheap stuff they sell for a "weed barrier" which doesn't seem to work anyway. I have small river rocks or stones or pepples. And it just so happens I have 6 mil plastic left over that was used as a vapor barrier on the basement floor. So I'll use the plastic and then cover with the fabric you listed. Thanks so much for the links!!!
@Mark OnTheBlueRidge oh, I have to add soil to get my desired slope. Is there a particular soil you recommend? Years ago I got some so called top soil to mix with my dirt to reseed a couple areas. That stuff was way to sandy and misleading to call top soil.
Mark OnTheBlueRidge how long stay the plastic sheet ?
❤
I have a landlord who is a dummy he has the sump pump getting water out into s sink in the basement the rainwater comes right through the walls. He won't fix it either.
@z I know the neighbor literally listens into my walls and tells the landlady everything i say. It's like a prison camp here.
So if you have soil pulling away from foundation, causing a channel, dont back fill it, just spray down your soil with water? Wtf?
Omg someone shot me. This is like a shop class from 1970.
Caution .. Shallow line buried in the NORTHERN climate will FREEZE .. This need much more thought and consideration Calgary - CANADA
2x speed - you're welcome
Can you imagine sitting in a classroom all day listening to them?! 😴😴😴
@7:00 Adding a couple inches of soil next to a foundation at ground level will not push the wall inward.
Similarly, it makes no sense to water the area just to keep it moist. Grow grass right up to the foundation instead, if moisture retention is a concern.
String trimmers and weed pesticides are both things.
These guys made this house look comical...
People adjust your Playback speeds 1.25x for normal understanding 🤪
More like 1.5
@@alexcutie491.75 did it for me
More like 2x
Tom or Ken can you help me? Advice....In Hebron, not far from you.. gna wait to see if you reply to this befor I explain my issue.
Since Tom and Ken may not check this as often as I do, I suggest contacting them directly. Their contact info can be found at www.ag.ndsu.edu/extension/directory/agnr/ageng
Umm build in the desert where there is no rain?
Not everybody wants to live in the desert.
I Accidentally ate my gutter help!!!
The bots commenting on this video = 😒
stop pointing your drainage lines towards a neighbors house!!!
all the a-kissing weak comments! lol THIS does not PREVENT water from entering your stupid basement smh lolll
these uncle toms make this really uninteresting. they should rap while performing about their public city works.
Do you know what an uncle Tom refers to?
Lol. Ahhh. Not the best at all. This is funny. Weeping tile. Maybe he has never heard of it
Quit messing around with all these weak ideas and put a 6 ft. wide cement sidewalk all around the house and the water will never get in.
Lol you just made me realize hiring a contractor to put in a cement patio under my deck is probably the best idea yet to deal with the compacted dry ridged soil.
That may be the best idea ever lol
This guy is half dead
Wow that was unnecessary. You might want to reconsider your comment.
@@camouflagejumpsuit Are you smashing him?
It's about the information.