I recently was asked to be a guest on The Epodogy Podcast for a special show spotlighting Home Drainage. The Epodogy Podcast is produced by Media1250.
The show covers many of the basic topics I’m most often asked about such as what causes drainage problems, etc.
Please send me an email if you’d like to hear more audio programs. My mission is to help you resolve those drainage issues (ideally, before they cause chaos with your home) and I’m always looking to find ways to get the word out on the benefits of professional home drainage solutions.
Anyway, here is the show for your listening pleasure - hope you enjoy - and thanks!
When your objective is to prevent rain created groundwater or near surface springs from flooding your homes’ crawlspace or basement, nothing works as well as a hand excavated french drain that has exposed rock on the surface. The hand excavated french drain must be properly located and installed, and free of all debris. (more…)
I am asked this question often. So the answer deserves repeating. Although, in this blog on home drainage, articles cover this subject and the ability to ascertain if you have a groundwater drainage problem, I will highlight a few of the common home drainage “smoking guns” again in this article. (more…)
I am presently installing hand excavated french drain groundwater removal systems on a historical home in Aurora, Oregon. Too bad that the home didn’t have hand excavated french drains installed from the time it was built.
The homeowner is restoring the home to its former glory and doesn’t want the worry of seasonal groundwater wetting his basement, in which he has a great wood shop. (more…)
I am asked this question almost every day by someone. What is a french drain and how does it work? A french drain is a hand excavated groundwater removal system that starts with the hand excavation of a gravity flow aquaduct with straight sides and a flat hard bottom. (more…)
When you assess the value and quality of work offered by contractors who propose work on french drains or other outside drainage work, require them to use plywood runs for walking and wheel barrowing on to retain the cosmetic nature of your landscaping and preserve the curb appeal of your home.
Don’t let the quickie low bid boys knock out some poor home drainage attempt and leave your property looking like craters of the moon national monument. It pays to do it right. (more…)
Hand excavated french drains are indeed ancient technology carried forward into the 21st century. What is a french drain? I get this question many times a week in my business. French drains do not need to be hard to understand. (more…)
When constructing a french drain groundwater removal system that you count on to pull rainwater away from your foundation, resist the common emotional arguments associated with the desire to cover up the rock left open on the surface.
This method is used for maximum groundwater collection when it rains hard. A common statement I hear is “my kids will toss rocks”, or “I don’t like the look of exposed rock”. (more…)
Resist the urge to make berms in front of your foundation. Adding raised beds in front of the foundation walls slow the flow of rainwater away from the foundation. Although they look great in some cases, they trap water next to the foundation area.
Do not add deep layers of barkdust next to the foundation. This will soak up water from hard rains, and produce a spongy surface that causes leaking into your basement, crawlspace, or window wells. It many times forms a negative grade that slopes to the foundation as well.
Home groundwater problems are likely not even on the homeowners radar until they eigther sell the home and get a pest dryrot and structural inspection that indicates their problem, or when the rains come and the water starts pouring into the homes crawlspace or basement.
Don’t be the homeowner that thinks the problem will just go away. If you know you have a groundwater drainage issue now, it will only get worse and more expensive to deal with it in the future.
I hear it all the time. I call it “voo doo” drainage. The homeowner says, “I have recieved a couple of other bids from contractors for my french drain work. One of the drainage contractors suggested that I could just put the french drain into my rain drain discharges venting my gutters. What do you think of that”? Easy answer. Do not do that! (more…)
Home drainage problems can be nasty. The homeowner has many responsibilities with respect to caring for their home. Your home may be the largest investment you will ever make. The most money that you will ever spend on an item in your entire lifetime. (more…)
Foundation footings that are sinking in your crawlspace can be the cause of sloping floors and/or doors that close too tight at the top or bottom. Consider these important tips for the health of your foundation.
Spot footings support the post beam structure of your home. (more…)
If you are one of the unlucky homeowners living in an area of the world that is presently receiving flooding, you need hand excavated french drains working for you to protect your land and your home.
It would have been better if they were installed prior to the floods, but better late than never. Even if you are forced to get right in the middle of the heavy rain to install them. Tough it out. Get it done. Dress warm and stay dry. (more…)
When groundwater really becomes a problem, you will likely know it. A home drainage condition will usually be evidenced by one of the following factors that becomes apparent. Sometimes the same old events keep happening, and the homeowner says to themselves, “there isn’t much water, and it only comes when it rains, so why consider it a problem”. (more…)
Exterior sump pump installations can be the answer for homes that need to move lots of groundwater quickly. The premise of necessity in this case is to pump the groundwater because the amount of groundwater to deal with exceeds the ability of a conventional hand excavated drywell to perk the groundwater into the ground. (more…)
When groundwater from heavy rain runs across your driveway and pools along the edge of your driveway, consider a silt collection box installation. This type of groundwater removal installation can provide a way to gravity flow groundwater using a silt collection box with 3″-4″ abs pipe and 3″ ads solid flexible pipe, venting the groundwater to a hand excavated drywell or daylighted vent, rather than the groundwater flooding your driveway, lawn, or garage. (more…)
AAA Home Drainage currently offers 315 posts on groundwater removal filled with information on the what to do, and the what not to do, of home drainage and groundwater removal.
Hand excavated french drains are not only the past, but the present and the future of home drainage and groundwater removal science.(more…)
The 2007 Oregon State Legislature adopted new requirements for contractors who construct new residential structures to provide the first purchaser, or owner, a recommended maintenance schedule. Groundwater problems have become main stream for new housing in Oregon.
The maintenance schedule must include the following minimum information, as per House Bill 2654.
Today a customer said something that hit the nail on the head so well. Her comment was that “The gold standard for home drainage is to collect the groundwater on the top 18″ of the soil around the foundation, with a compacted graded splash block against the foundation”. Well said, and very true words of home drainage wisdom. (more…)
I received an e-mail from a reader in the midwest of the United States. This homeowner has groundwater leaking along the basement footing and under his basement floor. He asked for my opinion with respect to his perceived need for a sump pump installed to pump out the groundwater. (more…)
Schools in folks. Let’s take a look at the report card for the class, residential home drainage 101. How do you stack up with respect to the good, the bad and the ugly? Read em’ and weep, as they say in the poker game. (more…)
When studying home drainage and groundwater solutions, the subject of placing waterproof membranes on the outside, or inside of foundation walls, comes up at times. The science sounds good, and if pitched with vigor, may result in the homeowner believing that this method will prevent groundwater from entering below grade. Let’s examine the facts however, and you decide for yourself how the logic shakes out. (more…)
The gable ends of your home do not have gutters on them. They have a severe pitch. If your home is designed this way, the result will usually be much of the roofwater escaping the gutters, especially in hard rains, spilling over the end of the home where the roof pitch is most severe. Watch for the signs of groundwater entry on the outside of the homes foundation in these areas. (more…)
Hand excavated french drains are indeed the solution for home drainage problems. Don’t be fooled into thinking that the words ditch and drain describe the same structure, or provide the same benefits. A sloppy ditch will never work like a hand excavated french drain. (more…)
Success with home drainage problems does not come without logical analysis, and diligent study of historically sound engineering methods, with respect to groundwater removal.
As a homeowner, you stand an excellent chance of being contacted by numerous “would be” drainage contractors, who will attempt to fleece you of your money, and make a case for groundwater removal by means of sump pumps installed first, rather than collection of groundwater while it is on the surface levels with hand excavated french drains(more…)
When it comes to home drainage and hand excavated french drains, only the people really focused on solving their groundwater problems will stay with it, and read this information extensively enough to actually become well informed.
There is an old saying that 10% of the fishermen get 95% of the fish. This is true with diligent students of hand excavated french drains as well. 10% of the readers get 95% of the benefits from reading this website. Go to the head of the class students. (more…)
When you need groundwater protection for your crawlspace or basement, call AAA Home Drainage for results. Contact the home drainage specialists that understand and install hand excavated french drain groundwater removal systems.
Hand excavated french drain science is thousands of years old, and quite misunderstood and misrepresented, by contractors who say they understand what is required, and represent themselves as a company that does quality work.
When groundwater problems threaten to stop your transaction, foul your air, bring bugs into your home, damage your foundation, and dryrot the post beam structure that supports your home, count on AAA Home Drainage to offer in depth knowledge and experience with respect to home drainage problems caused by groundwater. (more…)
Portland, Oregon is not the only area of the world where homes have groundwater drainage problems.
While it is true that the Portland, Oregon area is one of the home drainage hot spots of the world, desert and semi-arid climates have huge groundwater problems and flooding as well. (more…)
What does it mean when a geologist uses the term to “perk”. This term describes a process that soaks groundwater from the surface of the earth, into the aqua layers containing our underground water storage caverns.
What is a perk test, and what does it mean in terms of home drainage and groundwater removal?(more…)
The budget for construction of residential housing most often includes rain drain discharges and sometimes footing drains, but more important than footing drains are hand excavated french drains on the surface levels between 8″-18″, with a properly compacted splash block at the foundation. (more…)
The fact of the matter is that most homeowners are confused about what home drainage science really is. So many homeowners get taken financially and functionally with respect to home drainage.
Many contractors, have for years lead a campaign to convince homeowners that a ditch witch dug trench, with little to no grade, can become a home drainage solution, and that they are drainage contractors.(more…)
When the sky seems to be falling, and fear and loathing seems to take over the mood of the day, and water in the crawlspace or basement is the problem, remember that groundwater problems are best solved with hand excavated french drains with exposed river rock. (more…)
Geology and groundwater saturation around and under homes on sloped building sites affects stability.
The most amazing thing with respect to hand excavated french drains is that cities and counties will issue a building permit for construction of a home on a building site that even goats should not occupy, from a safety stand point, and not mandate the installation of hand excavated french drains to protect the hillside building pad from saturation of groundwater due to hard periodic rains, which cause slumping. (more…)
Time for a home drainage wake up call folks. The world has changed greatly, and home drainage is a part of an evolving new world. Real estate is changing in every way. Design, marketing, disclosure requirements, green technology, health standards and freedom from mold and airborne pollutants are all part of the new intelligent landscape of home groundwater removal system necessity. (more…)
One of the beautiful things about hand excavated french drains is that they can contain two pipes to serve two purposes at once. The solid 3″ abs and ads pipe is used for the creation of rain drain discharges which vent the roof water through the gutter system and downspouts.
The 3″ perforated pipe is laid next to the solid pipe on the bottom of the hand excavated french drain aquaduct for the collection of groundwater only, and acts as an overflow for the groundwater that is collected within the drainage system. (more…)
When it comes to removing groundwater that causes saturation, hydrostatic pressure and subsequently leaking into basements and crawlspaces, there are a few concepts that are important design and implementation factors that will most often produce success. The most important aspects of concern can be described as the 1,2,3 punch. (more…)
So, you are feeling confident. You say to yourself. Hand excavated french drains? No problem, I can do this. Perhaps you can; with care, experience, and a good plan. When you are contemplating the hand excavation of your own french drains proceed with a confident knowledge of where all your utilities are located and what you plan to do in what order. Proceed with caution and a slow sensitive shovel excavation. You must feel for utility lines with your shovel and hand excavate around them. (more…)
Layout of the path of the hand excavated french drain, with placement approximately 2 feet from the foundation wall, if the issue is water in the crawlspace or basement. The raised and compacted area from the foundation wall to the inside of the hand excavated french drain, ie. your splash block, starves the area of groundwater absorbsion, and dries out the foundation wall down to the footing.
Home groundwater drainage is a challenge in most neighborhoods. Home drainage systems are taxed greatly in neighborhoods where there is no curb and gutter. Hand excavated french drains are always necessary, but especially in these neighborhoods. Home groundwater caused by heavy rains that run down the streets and onto properties, without opposition, is common where no curb and gutters exist. It is in these neighborhoods that homeowners have special home groundwater drainage problems. (more…)
Keep your home on solid ground. The installation of hand excavated french drains is serious business for the homeowner. Hand excavated french drains are not like lawn flamingos or the color you paint your home. Hand excavated french drains are not an option, they are a necessity.
The subject of home drainage is very important knowledge. Learn or suffer, that is the reality of home drainage. (more…)
Hand excavated french drains, properly constructed, will pull the groundwater away from the foundation area, and reduce, and/or stop the leaking and necessity for pumping. The sump pump will not be necessary at that point in most cases. (more…)
Groundwater drainage has become more important to homeowners in the battle to keep a dry and healthy home. The current trend in the United States is to mandate disclosure of groundwater drainage to homeowners and new home purchasers buying real estate. Home drainage and home groundwater removal systems are important to the health of your dwelling. (more…)
When it comes to the growth of french drain knowledge, home drainage systems, hand excavated french drains, groundwater drainage, hand excavated drywells, rain drain discharges, and home groundwater removal, homeowners in the Portland area are seasoned veterans.
I see groundwater drainage knowledge growing by leaps and bounds in the Portland metro area. This knowledge gained is flying over the hurtles of ignorance with respect to groundwater removal systems and home drainage. (more…)
Oh yeh baby, hand excavated french drains rock alright. French drains that are hand excavated are free of all debris and broken up earth. French drains that are hand excavated have straight sides and a flat finished bottom. (more…)
We are off to a wet 08. The past 2-3 weeks have tested the patience of homeowners with groundwater drainage problems. The homeowners that have it bad, do not have hand excavated french drains installed. (more…)
A question often asked is: why are french drains important? In this article I will touch on some of the most important reasons why french drain installation should be a top priority for the health of your home and some specifics with respect to the engineering and materials used in french drain installation. (more…)
The show covers many of the basic topics I’m most often asked about such as what causes drainage problems, etc.