|
Posted by DanG on July 8, 2006, 7:54 pm
>
> I have some follow-up questions. Is the tar sealer you
> referred to a special kind for basements and could you suggest
> several
> name brands.
Tamms
Mulehide http://www.mulehide.com/asphalt_coatings/acc.html
Henry's
http://www.henry.com/Liquid_Waterproofing_Products.17.0.html
the emulsified (water based, water clean up) products are much
easier with which to work
>Also, if nothing is planted within four feet of the
> house, what keeps the top soil from blowing away?
Sod is great. My reference is to not install bushes and flower
beds. So many people build up a flower bed with landscape
timbers, use plenty of peat moss, cover the ground with mulch, and
water the mess daily. The timbers hold the water, the peat moss
holds water and allows it to go deep, the mulch keeps the water in
the soil and prevents the sun from drying it up, and pouring water
on a leaking basement wall is begging for problems.
> Thanks again,
>
> JD
> DanG wrote:
>> There are several issues to consider.
>>
>> Is this a concrete foundation wall?
>> What is the exterior of your house? Stucco/brick/siding?
>> Has the wall been damp proofed? (does it have a layer of tar on
>> it)
>> When you add 18" of dirt, will there still be about 6" of
>> concrete
>> showing below your siding/ brick veneer weep holes?
>>
>> If this were new construction and attempting the best
>> practices,
>> you would:
>> Damp proof or water proof the walls to the top of intended
>> grade.
>> Install French drain system at base of wall/footing.
>> Install protection board and/or drainage plane material.
>> Backfill with native material, preferably clay, compacted to
>> 88%
>> Proctor density or better.
>> Top off with 3-6" topsoil
>> Minimum drainage grade 6" fall in the first 10 feet.
>> Avoid plantings and downspouts within 4 feet of the foundation.
>>
>> This is not how it usually happens. The backfill is shoved in
>> loose and may settle over 2-3 years. Builders and home owners
>> plant bushes and flower beds along the foundation, then water
>> the
>> day lights out of them. Most of your problem may be from this
>> approach. It would be best for you to remove the sod and
>> topsoil
>> where you are changing the grade. Add compacted select fill
>> (called different things in different areas - here it would be
>> red
>> select) to correct grade. Top off with your topsoil/sod or
>> purchase new top soil.
>>
>> You can just add dirt on top of what you have, but this method
>> may
>> take reworking each year for several years to develop a dense
>> enough subsoil to shed water. Your old sod line will rot and
>> decompose over several years. Top soils and loams tend to
>> absorb
>> and hold water. Clays and selects tend to shed water. Hope
>> this
>> helps some.
>> ______________________________
>> Keep the whole world singing . . . .
>> DanG (remove the sevens)
>> dgriff237@7cox.net
>>
>>
>>
>> > I posted a question several days ago about grading land
>> > around my
>> > house to keep the basement from leaking, and I received many
>> > good
>> > suggestions. I have pretty much decided to buy topsoil and
>> > do
>> > this
>> > myself. My question is: How do I "stack" the topsoil or add
>> > plants to
>> > it to make sure that it stays firm after I establish the
>> > slope
>> > away
>> > from the house. There is a pretty significant depression of
>> > about 18
>> > inches near one corner of the house, and I strongly suspect
>> > that
>> > merely
>> > piling topsoil in the low spots and sloping it away from the
>> > house is
>> > not enough to do the job correctly.
>> >
>> > Thanks,
>> >
>> > JD
>> >
>
| 
Yahoo! 
Google 
Windows Live 
del.icio.us 
digg 
Netscape 
XML Sitemap