Sump Pump - Crawlspace (foundation, pool, drain, installing)

[dspguy]

I live in a house on a level lot. A very level lot. There is very little grading away from the home. I'm getting some standing water in my crawlspace. However, after a few hours, it seeps into the ground.

After observing water drainage around the house during the past storm, I have a pretty good idea where water could be coming into the crawlspace, if it is indeed coming IN and not UP into the crawlspace. For what its worth, the water table in my area is probably high (I live a few hundred feet from a river).

Anyway, part of me says to install a sump pump outside the house in the area where I see water pooling up. This area is right against the house. If I dig down about 3-4 feet and install the pump there, since water seeks its own level, any water that happens to get in the crawlspace should find its way to the sump basin outside.

Another part of me says... install it in the crawlspace as a "catch-all." And then work on diverting rain gutters etc away from the house.

Lastly, I need a new vapor barrier. I've been reluctant to put one down until I resolve the water issue. My feeling is... if I put down a barrier now, won't I just have a pool of water building up in the crawlspace if water is indeed coming IN and not UP from the ground? And if I do put a sump pump in the crawlspace, should I make a hole in the barrier around the sump cover to allow any water that somehow finds its way on top of the barrier to drain to the sump basin?

[QIS]

Hi dspguy,
Sump pumps for landscape/exterior water management are a great idea!
It's really one of those "measure twice cut once" situations so plan this project out! Make a water collection system that goes laterally parallel beyond the area you feel is encouraging water intrusion into the crawl space. Make sure that system properly collects and then directs water to an ADEQUATELY sized sump pump basin.
Bury the sump pump discharge pipe and make sure it terminates where you feel the discharge will never be a factor.
Protect the foundation from the outside if you can; install a nice membrane to well below the footing.
Make sure you get an electrician with proper experience with sump pumps to give you a safe, dependable power supply.
If you are in an area that freezes, set the pump up so you can disconnect it and remove it if you are afraid of freeze damage.
I'm with you on waiting for the vapor/water barrier. Try to manage the water intrusion first; then check your crawl space. It shouldn't take long to get some feedback about the effectiveness of your nice, new exterior water management system! You can decide about the need for putting down a barrier after that. The same goes with sump pump in the crawl space; try the exterior first if you feel that is really where you can properly address the water coming in.
I'm running out of time this AM and I can't find a nice link with illustrations or pix. I just googled, landscape sump pumps and exterior sump pump installation for instance...good stuff...just not a lot of good visuals...maybe you can find some!
Let us know what happens.

ps: Does your name refer to guitar amplifiers by chance?

[escanlan]

Originally Posted by dspguy

I live in a house on a level lot. A very level lot. There is very little grading away from the home. I'm getting some standing water in my crawlspace. However, after a few hours, it seeps into the ground.

After observing water drainage around the house during the past storm, I have a pretty good idea where water could be coming into the crawlspace, if it is indeed coming IN and not UP into the crawlspace. For what its worth, the water table in my area is probably high (I live a few hundred feet from a river).

Anyway, part of me says to install a sump pump outside the house in the area where I see water pooling up. This area is right against the house. If I dig down about 3-4 feet and install the pump there, since water seeks its own level, any water that happens to get in the crawlspace should find its way to the sump basin outside.

Another part of me says... install it in the crawlspace as a "catch-all." And then work on diverting rain gutters etc away from the house.

Lastly, I need a new vapor barrier. I've been reluctant to put one down until I resolve the water issue. My feeling is... if I put down a barrier now, won't I just have a pool of water building up in the crawlspace if water is indeed coming IN and not UP from the ground? And if I do put a sump pump in the crawlspace, should I make a hole in the barrier around the sump cover to allow any water that somehow finds its way on top of the barrier to drain to the sump basin?

You mention that you do have some grade away from the home but it appears not to be adequate. You also indicate that your gutters are most likely emptying close to the foundation. I would recommend the following for you to look into before installing any sump pumps and vapor barriers that might or might not work well enough.

First you should do as you suggested and have the gutters around the entire roof. Make sure the gutters are all draining well away from the home. Rainwater runoff from the roof, especially on constant and/or heavy rains, can provide a tremendous amount of water around the home.

Speak with a professional landscaper that is also a drainage specialist. Depending on your lot, grading, etc., you might be able to add very gentle swales around the home to catch any runoff and channel it around, and away from, the home. This, and the gutter issue above, will help ensure the vast majority of rain runoff is kept away from the home. You would be surprised how nicely you can hide a series of swales with the proper landscaping techniques, plantings, etc. I've seen some very nice residential drainage swales that were lined with river rock to make it look like a stream. Plantings and other items were placed around it to enhance the look. Here is an example of this River of Rocks | Best Ways to Deal with Storm Water | Photos | Garden Planning | Landscaping | This Old House. I've also seen some swale arrangements that were shallow enough that you could almost not even tell they were there.

Make sure your crawlspace has the proper amount of ventilation for your area and situation. Even with the above two mentioned actions you can always experience moisture in the crawlspace area. With proper ventilation that moisture is dried out as quickly as possible. In the worst cases it might require some type of power assisted fans to draw sufficient air through.

I would look at trying these ideas first before sump pumps. You can actually perform some of this yourself and save some cash on it. If you have additional questions ask away.

[mikaylawilson]

Originally Posted by escanlan

Speak with a professional landscaper that is also a drainage specialist. Depending on your lot, grading, etc., you might be able to add very gentle swales around the home to catch any runoff and channel it around, and away from, the home.

I agree with you! It really helps if we contact a Drainage Specialist and tell him our requirements and problems for our drain system.

Mod Cut: Reference given is over seas

[Homehealth]

Escanian,
Your suggestions make sense. However, I would like to know why we get some moisture around our sump pit when the pump is programmed to run as soon as the water level rises to as certain point.

Where does the water come from? It's only moist a couple of feet around the pit.

I don't know who to ask or where to start. Before launching into landscaping I want to identify the problem.

I really hope to hear from you.
Thanks.