Greetings,

We have lots to repair. And that's okay because I don't think there are perfect houses out there. I would love to hear from the gang to help prioritize repairs our slab house needs.

1) Our House is across from Lake using a Holding Tank. Need to purchase a pump-up septic system. This needs to wait for me to sell a car and/or learn how to run heavy equipment (I would love to learn but I am a 5'5" small framed female but I have a powder blue tool belt and will attempt any repair).

2) Mold and fungus on the back and side wall (inside on molding/Sheet rock). Back half of house is set into a hillside. Similar to a split level. I need to dig and backfill with gravel. I suppose I need to do this by hand. Husband will help. I adore hydrolic cement and hope to do an excellent repair so I have been researching all the detailed steps I can get.

3) Cracks in foundation felt through carpet. Once 2 years ago, carpet in center of backroom (mushroom land) was very wet and I wet/dry vac. I will need to strip that room to the studs/foundation walls to see what is going on (see project 2).

4) There is a cement drip pad all around the house. Water comes off the drip edge (no gutters) and hits cement, runs off. But drip pads are broken and very old. We installed gutters this fall to ease the water hitting the broken pads. Has anyone seen these pads? If I get project #2 done, can I just leave the gravel exposed and if so... how far from house?
Or should I make forms and replace all the pads?
(I love cement but know very little about thickness required, etc).
BTW Gutters are fun and easy once you get crazy with the pitch.

5) Back deck slider leaks water and never opened completly in 10 years. Deck is rotted but replacement custom slider 6'X6' is $2K. We will save $ and remove slider/make a wall and remove the deck. It's okay, it's just a steep hill in backyard (nothing to look at) and will give me access to dig up more back foundation and play with hydrolic cement.

6) Replace the roof on the grage. It's a 4 inch drop every foot pitch so I'm thinking metal roof. Self cleaning and long lasting but I am very open to inexpensive suggestions.

7) Slab foundation has sewer main running under house and heating vents. I found that 3 heating vents had rotted iron and sand was entering them. I cleaned and fiberglassed them! But I worry about the sewer main that also runs unseen under the slab of mystery.


So that's our list. I badly want to do a great job and live here for 20 dry years. If I can sell the car I will have 15K. Warning, I am a optimistic creature so if you want to taunt, go ahead.. I will laugh.
Deb_in_NH@Yahoo.com

Well, let me start with what I know about...a 4 on 12 pitch is plenty for a shingle roof, especially on a garage. Metal is unnecessary and will cost more, and it sounds like you need the money for your waterproofing.

Hydraulic cement is fine for the backside of the foundation wall, but while you're at it, why not install a 6-mil polyethylene film right down and over the top of the footing? Very cheap insurance. And yes, it's best to hand excavate.

If the sewer under the slab is cast iron, you have very little to worry about. And cast iron pipes CAN be cleaned, if there is a lot of scale and stuff built up in them.

Keep us posted, and good luck.
Gutters are always a good idea. Make sure when you install them that the top outer edge of the gutter is below the slope of your roof, projected out over the gutter. For low-slope roofs, the distance should be an inch. For high-slope roofs, a quarter-inch is adequate. Medium-slope roofs...somewhere in between. If you don't, you may find your gutters either hanging off the house or on the ground a day or two after a heavy snowfall.

Gutters are far better than letting the roof water splash below, no matter what it splashes on.