Originally posted by Ber Rabbit:
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Originally posted by concretemasonry:
Your heat ducts may actually be below the slab. I have seen this frequently and sometimes they use rigid insulation under and around them.
Below the slab would not surprise me but since this is a fairly recent problem--in the last 4 years or so out of the 36 years we've had the home--it seems more like a crack has formed in the slab near a joint in the ducts.
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Originally posted by concretemasonry: In any case, if getting surface water away is not sucessful, you may have to put in a buried drain tile parallel to the house to intercept the ground water following the slope down.
Who do I call to evaluate the situation and decide whether this will work? Engineer? Drainage tile company?
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originally posted by LA Marlowe:It does sound like an ideal situation for a french drain and knowing where the electrical runs already is a plus. With a slab you don't have to dig all that deep, but you definitely want to avoid dumping all that water onto your septic tank or field lines.
I know the septic system has a main tank and what she called a "dry" tank. Mom said she always suspected that dry tank was getting groundwater in it. Both tanks are fairly close to the area where water stands.
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originally posted by LA Marlowe:Would it be feasible to run new ducts in the ceiling and do away with the old system altogether?
We're getting ready to sell the house and there are quite a few repairs that need to be made. That would probably end up being a much more expensive option than the drain and I fear where that water might go if we filled in the field tiles under the house.
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originally posted by LA Marlowe:One other thought, that is a LOT of water. Is it possible you have a water line leak seeping into the tiles when the ground is too wet to absorb it? The next time you hear the waterfalls, turn off the main water supply and see if the flow slows or stops.
Interesting thought and worth checking into. The house is on a well, wouldn't we hear the pump running if we had a line leak that big?
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originally posted by LA Marlowe:That is true. I have to say that I thought I had seen everything, but I have never seen clay tile used as duct work. The clay tile I have seen used came in short sections and was never sealed at the joints, so I wonder if that's what's enabling the seepage here.
Ever seen a slab house where they didn't put any concrete where the bath traps are? We had a lot of termite damage in the 80's. The termites came up through the dirt around the bath traps and got into the bathroom walls then spread through one end of the house. The repair guys found the back corner of the roof--near the area that holds water--had dropped 3 inches because the termites ate the supporting structure. They also ate the main load bearing beam in the front of the house, the stone fascia was literally the only thing holding the house up.
I believe the tile is those short sections of square tile and would not be the least bit surprised to find out the joints were never sealed.
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originally posted by LA Marlowe:You're quite right, also, about the water finding its way to the lowest level no matter where you dump it. That might not be a bad thing though if the field lines make their way down to some decent drainage, because it sounds like it's probably mostly clay close to ground level. If that is the case, then dumping the water close to the top of the ground might be a very good idea, especially if she doesn't like the neighbors. The good thing is, at least she's not living at the bottom of the hill!
I know there is a drainage line that runs along the driveway to the road ditch from one of the downspouts. We could possibly tap into that but it would mean taking the long way around the patio and dealing with the electric line the length of the house. I'm not sure we can get the drop we need to make the water flow unless we dig up that line and run it deeper. The soil is a limestone clay.
OH and we like the neighbors on the downhill side :-) actually we like all the neighbors. It's a neighborhood full of longtime residents and everyone helps everyone else. My mom got to stay there until until the day she died thanks to my sister staying with her and all the help with yard work from the neighbors over the years after dad passed away.
The people at the bottom of the hill have a farmers pond behind them. It completely covers their yard and crosses the street during the rainy season...they raised the yard to stop the problem and it made it worse...I would hate to have to prep THAT house for sale.
Thanks for all the advice!
Ber
