Flood Remediation
Analysis, Design and Construction Project
The Problem - Water in the basement.
The Highland Park house pictured above was built in the early 1900’s. Its owner and her neighbors had been getting water in their basements for years. Over the years, the rain and melting snow had caused considerable structural damage to the owner’s foundation. Upon initial inspection, I observed that the poor design of the gutters, the lack of a drainage system but especially the location of the property were all contributing to the problem.
The Cause of the Problem - "Trickle-down" Dynamics.
Rather than offer to merely replace the gutters, I consulted an expert, retired engineer Robert Muscarella, to assess the situation and help me design a lasting solution. Mr. Muscarella explained that that the tract of land, essentially a hill, was originally developed by cutting terraces into the side of the slope. The developers then built a row of houses on each terrace. The owner’s house was located on the bottom terrace and as a result, it was the recipient of the run-off water of all the terraces above it.
The Solution - A Curtain Drain.
Together, Robert and I designed an outside Curtain Drain (akin to a French drain). My crew and I dug a trench around the perimeter of the house and extended the trench to the front of the house out to the street. We then lined the trench with heavy-duty weed control, on top of which, we placed a thick layer of gravel for drainage. We then ran heavy duty perforated pipe (wrapped in a porous fabric to prevent clogging the perforations) on top of the gravel.
Thinking Ahead.
We removed the existing gutters, which were too small, and replaced them with commercial sized gutters and downspouts, which tied into the drain. To protect against flash flooding or extended periods of heavy rain, we installed catch basins in strategic locations to draw the water away from the house and into the drainage system. This whole system was designed and installed in about one week.
But Does it Work?
A week later, the drainage system was tested by heavy rains. Not only did the owner’s basement stay dry, the basements of her neighbors stayed dry as well! This is an excellent example of a lasting solution achieved by quality design and workmanship.