How to fix my house?!

9 years ago

Need some help knowing where to start ...

My house is on a slope. The house is below the road level, and then the lot slopes towards a lake.

We have some foundation settling issues, and just started getting water in the basement last year. Because of the slope and water run-off from the road, we have some concerns that the ground may be unstable. At the very least, we need to get resolution on whatever problem is causing water in the basement.

The main portion of the house is about 30 years old, and significant renovations were done about 4 years ago. The house is in Western North Carolina, but not in the high mountains - we have clay soil and lots of summer humidity.

I've read lots of messages about Home Inspectors vs Engineering, and still find that I don't know where to start.

Some HI are also licensed structural engineers. But it seems that we might need a civil or soil engineer more so than a structural engineer ...

Help?

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Comments (5)

snoonyb
9 years ago
What event occurs just prior to the moisture appearing?
Does the upslope grading direct moisture away from the dwelling?
What is the evidence of the settling?
User
Original Author
9 years ago
When it rains, we get water in the basement.

There is a french drain on the up-slope side of the house and the grading does appear to slope away from the house, although not extremely. We suspect the french drain is doing it's job at the level at which it's installed, but wonder if the moisture is coming in beneath the french drain at that end of the house. (That end of the house is dug into the hillside more so than the other end of the house.)

Settling? On the "suspect" end of the house, we have drywall cracks inside, and a couple door handle latches that no longer quite line up with the associated hardware in the door frame.

Thanks for reading and responding!
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snoonyb
9 years ago
Ok.
It's common practice to apply a waterproofing to subterranean concrete pours, both with and without red label cement. The older of which amounted to little more than asphalt emulsion, while the more modern application are elastomeric and capable of withstanding some deflection.
In the area of the seepage is their evidence of cracking and are there heavily rooted trees in the general proximity?
French drains can also become filled with alluvium, rendering the ineffective.

The point I'm attempting, is to broaden the range of possible causes and to reduce expensive and unnecessary expense.
User
Original Author
9 years ago
There are no evident cracks in the interior wall of the basement (and it appears to be poured concrete).

There are not heavily rooted trees within 30 feet, although there is a large shrub about 3 feet away from the outside wall.

When the house was built, a french drain that ran 3/4 the length of the front of the house was installed. During the renovation (roughly 4 years ago) the french drain was extended the remainder of the full length of the house and the previously existing french drain was "refreshed" (they dug it up and made sure it was OK, cleaned it up, etc).

Thanks again for reading and responding.
snoonyb
9 years ago
It seems to me that there is more than likely a failure to the waterproofing of the foundation wall, and where I would start. In stead of an eng.

Also is there or has there been provided an access to the french drain, that will allow it to be rodded out or pressure flushed.