Low Cost Home Water Problem Solution

What a stroke of luck, neighboring Homeowners worked together and solved the water issue that caused both basements to leak.

In the following Diagram is the layout of the water problem area in the Gangway between House A and House B.

Here is the low cost eco friendly water problem solution diagram that solves the water collecting in the Gangway between the two Buildings.

Gangway Water Issue and Solution

Submitted May 3, 2016- Offer Expires May 31, 2016 (based on prices of needed materials)

─

Scotty

Scotts Contracting St Louis MO

scottscontracting@gmail.com

Overview

House A initiated inquiry into eliminating water entering basement.  House A has Stone Foundation.  Inquiry with House B also has water infiltration issues in basement with stone foundation and is not opposed to hooking up drain collection point for both homes.

Goals

1. Eliminate the Water Infiltration into Basement for both Homes
2. Eco Friendly Options Requested
3. Repurpose and Upcycle Building Materials where possible
4. Match Existing Building Aesthetics
5. Affordable

Existing Problem

Sidewalk directs water towards foundation of House A and B instead of directing water away from home and foundation.  Heavy Rain showers cause water to enter into basements further deteriorating the existing mortar in the Stone Foundations.

Solutions and Options

• Expensive: Remove and Replace Existing Concrete Sidewalk with new concrete and install drainage system
• Less Expensive: Recover existing Concrete Sidewalk and install drainage system
• Least Expensive: Reposition and Recover Existing Concrete Sidewalk and install drainage system.

Safety Issues

1. Water Leads to Mold- If both homes have had water infiltration into the basement Mold growing on Stone Foundations is not uncommon,,.
1. https://scottscontracting.wordpress.com/2012/02/19/rock-foundation-waterproofing-basement-wall/
2. 
2. Before Digging Call Underground Burial Locator Service [ Dig Rite ]
3. Scotty chose not to utilize House B Roof Drainage Collection Point- If the lateral drainage line in House B ever was blocked- all the water collected on House B Roof in addition to water collected in French Drain Tile System would allow the water to collect and pool between the houses and water would not be diverted away from basements.

Notes

1. Scotty will donate I leftover French Drain Tile from a previous project to use as the water collection and water diverter drain tile-$.
2. Portions of the Existing Concrete Walk will need replaced.  These chunks of sidewalk after removal could be incorporated into the French Exit Drain Point in Garden Area.

Costs

1. Expensive

2. Less Expensive

$2,000-$3,000

3. Least Expensive

$1,200-$1,800

Additional Information and Links from Document:

• "Scotts Contracting Green Build Services and Energy ..." 2012. 3 May. 2016 <http://www.stlouisrenewableenergy.com/services.html>
• "St Louis Renewable Energy-Scotts Contracting | General ..." 2011. 3 May. 2016 <https://scottscontracting.wordpress.com/>
• "Rock Wall Foundation Repair and Waterproofing | St Louis ..." 2012. 3 May. 2016 <https://scottscontracting.wordpress.com/2012/02/19/rock-foundation-waterproofing-basement-wall/>
• "Call Before You Dig | Missouri Public Service Commission." 2012. 3 May. 2016 <http://psc.mo.gov/General/Call_Before_You_Dig>
• "Missouri One Call System: Call 1-800-344-7483 (DIG-RITE ..." 2006. 3 May. 2016 <https://www.mo1call.com/>
• "French drain - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia." 2011. 3 May. 2016 <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_drain>
• "4 in. x 100 ft. Corex Drain Pipe Perforated with Sock - Home ..." 2016. 3 May. 2016 <http://www.homedepot.com/p/4-in-x-100-ft-Corex-Drain-Pipe-Perforated-with-Sock-04730100BS/100129255>

Thank You for stopping by the Green Blog. If additional information in needed or you have a question let me know by posting a question or comment. Together we can make a difference and create a future that will benefit everyone. -->

Building Natural Stone Retaining Wall Project SlideShowMovie

2 Guys, Small Track Loader, Pics shovels, and a little muscle. Roughly 100 ft Long by 4 ft Tall.  I now have a greater appreciation for the great pyramid builders; many of these stones weighed more than I do.

Retaining walls serve many purposes and come in a wide variety of materials, shapes, colors, and sizes.  This retaining wall was constructed for the addition of 1) Off-Street Parking Area 2) Water Control 3) Side Entrance

• Removing the Existing sidewalk and excavating the dirt using a small track loader- the perfect size for working in confined areas such as this.

• Roughly 2 ft x 6 ft of Dirt was removed for preparation of the Natural Stone Retaining Wall.

• Irregular Shape, Size, and Weight of the Stones Locks them into place

• 4-6 in Crushed Limestone Rock, Chet-Minus base prepped for the Concrete Sidewalk, Side Entrance, and Parking Area.

1. A Proper Concrete Base will prevent unnecessary stress cracks in the concrete sidewalk after installation and curing.

• Next Slide Show Video will be cover the concrete pour installation

I happened to be in the Neighborhood and stopped by to photo a prior Jobsite that is standing up to the test of time. Natural Retaining Wall Build! > https://t.co/hHTiXop7JE pic.twitter.com/QfKfXyShRc

— Scotty (@StLHandyMan) August 27, 2021

Thank you for stopping by St Louis Renewable Energy. Feel free to comment in the section below or contact Scotts Contracting- St Louis Home Improvement Projects and Energy Reducing Needs Get Your Green Building Tips and Resources at St Louis Renewable Energy Green Blog

Pt1 Spray Foam Insulation StLouis Brick Building

 To help educate the people of StLouis against future problems in regard to: Air Quality, Durability, and Creature Comforts I put together: Part One-Basement, Crawl Space, Stone Foundation Insulation Series on: Cost Effective:Energy Conservation for StLouis Brick Buildings [ where, how and why with suggested solutions in regard to spray foam insulation.]

Recently I've had a couple of requests to "Spray Foam" Insulate a StLouis Brick Home with Spray Foam Insulation-I don't know who has been telling people its ok to do 'this or that' but I want to show all the readers the basic principles behind the Actual Building Science behind Spray Foam Insulation and the best practices for using this product.

Many times the shows on TV and supposed building professionals performing similar home improvement services [in some instances these shows are correct;many times they are not.]  So before you start spraying foam insulation on the walls of your building there are a few areas that need to be considered before starting on a project such as this-follow the suggested Building Science Principles for

#sprayfoaminsulation 

  #ClosedCellInsulation 

#MoistureControl  

  #brick 

#BuildingScience

  

#Masonry 

#StoneFoundation

  #RockFoundation  

See, Review and Comment on the Google Cloud Document: Spray Foam Insulation St Louis Brick Buildings

Thank you for stopping by St Louis Renewable Energy. Feel free to comment in the section below or contact Scotts Contracting- St Louis Home Improvement Projects and Energy Reducing Needs Get Your Green Building Tips and Resources at St Louis Renewable Energy Green Blog

Water Main Repair-Benton Rehab

If your Water Main is leaking it can cost you Thousands of Dollars over the year.

Safety First-when there are open holes in a sidewalk

A leaking water main can cost a building owner thousands in water bills in St Louis and can cause damage to the Rock Foundation Walls and Footings- which will also cause damage to the buildings Structure.  See Previous Posts on the Benton Project where we repaired the Rock Foundation Wall (where some but not all of the damage was from the Leaking Water Main).  Mr Dale Or of Master Plumber StL speculated that the Water Main had been leaking for 8 years prior to the repair. Note: a water leak left un-repaired is a major cause of a Building Settling over time and distorting the Integrity of the Buildings Structure.

Water Man Repair was completed by Master Plumbers St Louis

The above photos are of the Water Main Repair of the Benton Rehab Project.  The Water Main Repair was done by: Master Plumber St Louis {Although I did help dig the pit}

Thank you for stopping by St Louis Renewable Energy. Feel free to comment in the section below or contact Scotty for any Home Improvement Projects or Energy Reducing Needs and Scotty, Scotts Contracting will respond ASAP. Company Web Address: http://www.stlouisrenewableenergy.com

Stone Foundation Repair-Benton Gut Rehab

 The First Set of Pictures from the 

Green Build - Gut Rehab of a 4 Family Masonry Building

 Repairing the Stone Foundation

If you can see daylight through the cracks in your rock foundation it is time for some maintenance

Scotts Contracting Home Repair Services

Remove and Replace all loose mortar in small sections

Stone Foundation Repair for St Louis Missouri

The Buildings Foundation  will be ready for the next couple hundred years!

Waterproofing would be the next step after the foundation is repaired.

See More of the 
Benton Gut Rehab Green Blog Series

Part 1: History

Part 2: Stone Foundation Repair

Part 3: Tuckpointing the Brick Walls pt 1

Part 4: Tuckpointing the Brick Walls pt 2

Part 5: What were they thinking?

Part 6: Paint Pro Tip #35

Part 7: Repairing Water Damage-Exterior Wall

Part 8: 1st Floor Weatherization

Part 9: See the Difference a Little White Paint Makes

Part 10: Interior Framing-Plumbing-Laundry Room

Part 11: Kitchen Framing Tip #36-Benton Rehab Project

Part 12: Water Main Repair- Benton Rehab

Part 13: Benton Rehab Project Drywall Installation and Tip: Number 1172

Part 14: Custom Flooring Patch Hardwood Floor Repair-Benton Rehab

Additional information about Waterproofing a Stone Foundation can be found on my sister website- Scotts Contracting


Thank you for stopping by St Louis Renewable Energy. Feel free to comment in the section below or contact Scotty for any Home Improvement Projects or Energy Reducing Needs and Scotty, Scotts Contracting will respond ASAP. Company Web Address: http://www.stlouisrenewableenergy.com