Messages and Online Forum Q&A

Re: sump pump

From: info@builderswebsource.com
Category: Foundations and Basements
Remote Name: 63.198.181.43
Date: 11 Apr 2001
Time: 10:00 PM

Comments

If it's a new house, proper exterior drainage should have been part of the design from the outset. I can't answer why one house has a sump and not the other. I would talk to the builder to get plans on the exterior drainage and understand what their approach was to basement waterproofing.

If there is no drainage, I would be very concerned about potential problems. It's not an easy thing to test for, since leakage into the basement often occurs only once the ground becomes saturated, forcing water into the basement through hydrostatic pressure.

Even if you ran a hose around the basement for a period of a few days to thoroughly saturate the ground, there is no guarantee that this will reveal a design flaw or that the water will reach the required depth to cause moisture infiltration.

Given that it's a new house, your best bet is to take a careful look at the plans and understand what measures were taken to keep the basement dry. The city should have copies of the blueprints on file if you can't get them from the builder.

To learn more about drainage and basement waterproofing, you can read and purchase our popular online tech note at:

http://www.builderswebsource.com/techbriefs/drainage.htm

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