J.A.S.'s fixing the damp & swimming pool in the house thread....

JustAnotherSaver

zaax wrote: »

Is the suimp pump still running? It looks like you could do with a new one. If there is a spring under the house you will be to have it piped off some where. Concreting it over will not solve the problem the water will only force is way in.

The pump only seems to kick in when i tap the float. I don't know whether it's the tapping or the putting it under the water that triggers it, but the float just looks very sorry for itself floating away sort of.

If it's the need to be UNDER the water then i wonder how bloody high the level needs to get to. 4 inch & it's still dangling on top of the water.


I'm having a guess here, but would you get in touch with the water board to see if they know of what is what regards the origin of this water?

John_Pierpoint

JustAnotherSaver wrote: »

Regards it potentially being asbestos, what do we do here? Leave it undisturbed? It's been there no doubt since day dot perfectly fine.

It is mainly cement reinforced with a percentage of white asbestos fibres - nothing to worry about, until it gets smashed or starts to fall apart which it won't while dry and frost free.

Leave it alone or start using it again if you want to install a (smokeless) fuel burning appliance. Anthracite and coke are getting very cheap on world markets because of the switch to less carbon rich fuels. It might even be possible to convert the gas fire to collect its air from under the floor boards. My daughter has a balanced flue one that goes out through the wall. Gas regulations are strict because the stuff is explosive, as well as a potential source of carbon monoxide poisoning (like other fuels).

Any thoughts on the source of the inflow, you could keep a bottle full in the warmth , with an airlock or failing that a lose screw cap, and see if it seems to be inert.

JustAnotherSaver

The missus was wanting a smokeless fire. I'm not too sure. I like a good proper fire, don't get me wrong. We have one at my mums & that gets roaring. I'm not sure i'd have one in my own house though. Then there's the gas fires (modern look) which i really like the LOOK of, however gas is costly isn't it.
Plus there's central heating.

JustAnotherSaver

Have just gone through the damp fellas report.

In short the missus is having a bit of a meltdown & is letting the possibility of selling pass through her mind.
I must admit, it doesn't make pleasant reading.

You just ask yourself - where the hell do you stop? You could literally go on forever. We don't have 10s of thousands of pounds to throw at this.
There's mention of the floor joist ends being wet rot on the back of the photos. The asbestos pipe needs looking at. The joists are at a level where decay can begin.

Problem is you can't rid the water it seems, so that's how it is. What do you do?

If the pump goes deeper than due to natural water level (IF it is that) then the pump will always be on - again not ideal.

The plastic sheeting on the wall with plasterboards on top, he's detailed this can/will collect moisture at the back of it & then run down into the wood work - again more wet wood.

This is one of those - what the hell next moments.


I think if we can get the plasterboard on the walls so we can decorate & if the floor can stand being as it is for many years to come, then we'll be good.
Obviously nobody has a crystal ball & we've no idea how long the floor boards or joists will be able to handle what's there. For all i know it could be until we die, it could be 30 years, 10 years, 10 days or 10 minutes. Who knows.

I don't think we're ever going to sort this properly. Question is to what acceptable level can we get it & what is an acceptable level.

I'm going to bed, this has got on top of me today!

John_Pierpoint

Gas is still the most convenient and cheap fuel.

These people obviously have something to sell (as do everyone else to whom, you have spoken) but this document seems fairly comprehensive.
http://www.ribaproductselector.com/Docs/8/06498/external/COL1006498.pdf

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dry_rot

I think both of you will find correcting this situation a long haul and slow and steady will be the best response.

Trying to dump the problem on another buyer may well cause more heartbreak and possibly expense.

cyclonebri1

Interesting situation to say the least.

Ok, the float should simply be floating in the sump, in goes up and down with the water, you lifting it up and tapping it will be activating it but it seems to have lost it's calibrated level.
For know buy a new pump.

I am 50/50 regarding concreting the sub base. I mentioned in an earlier post about a cellar we had in our first terraced house 40 years back.
We concreted that after filling the void with 40tons of stone rubble. Intended to let the water flow in and though our property, it being the middle of 3.
Blinded od with gravel and sand then a 4" slab of concrete.
It worked perfectly, never had any issues, but to be honest we didn't have damp before, Also the neighbours still continued to drain correctly.
Big difference obviously was that our water level was min 6ft below the floor, yours is much less.

More I think about it the more uncertain I would be, but it would depend largely on the "soil" condition in you base, if it's solid then concrete is an option but still maintaining the sump to keep the water below new sub floor level.

PS, the idea of a decent sized sump in such an installation is to ensure the water level never rise above the depth of the sump.


OP, I can see the 1 real issue you will be having with this thread/topic. You are getting a wide variety of replies, almost all sensible and possible but there doesn't seem to be a majority view.

So, short term replace the pump and set it up to keep the water level within the sump. I think most if not all your issues are simply the effect of having a lake in your basement, and the natural evaporation that gives which will permeate into the house, it's not certain to be rising damp;);)

JustAnotherSaver

The problem with the water underneath is that you can't really decorate if you're going to tackle it. You can't lay a carpet down & then go - we'll do something with that wood today.

I do agree with a new pump as it'd certainly make us feel better.

Who fits these pumps though? We obviously wont be able to do it ourselves.

Also, it's said we need an electrician in this thread. I hit the yellow pages last night & there's plenty, but maybe i'm just uninformed here, but from reading their descriptions i imagine many of them to just go in & do standard house wiring & not getting under floorboards in a swimming pool tracing wires from a sump to wherever they may or may not lead.

What i'm saying/asking is - how do we pick the right one for the job? That's a lot of our problem to be honest, be it pump, damp, driveway .... who to turn to.

Also, regards the level not rising above the sump .... If this was to be the case then the pump would almost always be on based on what i've seen. How much electricity does this draw? Big on usage or not so bad?

That aside, as i say it'll almost always be on. I drained it out at dinner time yesterday (about 1pm) when i returned at 7pm the level had got to 4" ... only 0.5" to go to reach the level it was at when we lifted the boards (which was the level it was at when i entered this morning - 4.5").

John_Pierpoint

Typically 500 - 1000W

Price £50 - 120

So running cost 7p - 15p per hour

Check Screwfix.

fluffymuffy

Consider filling in that void to just level with the bottom of the airbricks.

Optiroc (or whatever flavoured filling) plus a concrete slab.
Combine that with an Aco drain then should any water appear from under the house then it will drain out through the airbrick.

As per the detail in the Building Regulations. (see earlier post, ... or was it the other thread?)

Aco channel drains - I'd have one across the bottom of the drive, and another across the front of the house (you'd need to move those steps).

cyclonebri1

fluffymuffy wrote: »

Consider filling in that void to just level with the bottom of the airbricks.

Optiroc (or whatever flavoured filling) plus a concrete slab.
Combine that with an Aco drain then should any water appear from under the house then it will drain out through the airbrick.

As per the detail in the Building Regulations. (see earlier post, ... or was it the other thread?)

Aco channel drains - I'd have one across the bottom of the drive, and another across the front of the house (you'd need to move those steps).

I'm starting to think this way too.


Just going back to the OP, it doesn't matter how you look at it, if the pumps pick up gets enough water for the pump to switch on it will do that. It will pump out whats there and when below it's set level will cut out, you need to accept that it will omly pump when needed.

But, it really does seem that you are trying to drain the whole area, not just your own home.


I don't know what fuffyM is advising re infill, but I'd say infill and convert your floor from suspended to solid concrete.
You can add several impervious membranes given the depth, the tide mark on your brickwork is way below you floor level.

The issue with rot in floor joists is removed at this juncture if you go that way.;);)