A Word About Water-Proofing

[qos]

I found out yesterday, after a chat with my contractor friend at work (he who helped with my closet), that installing a pump would be a very big, costly, job, involving not just dangling a little pump into my drain, but serious excavation. *sigh*

So my indignation at my Ex yesterday was greater than the situation warrants.

I've been testier than usual recently, and while I guess I have grounds, given the stresses in my life at the moment, I don't like it. I need to think things through a bit more before I let myself get irritated about something. Venting at someone else because I'm upset is not the way to make things better.

At the same time, I didn't know before yesterday late morning what the "situation" actually was. I was using his assurances of the situation as the grounds for my irritation. So on some level my upset was entirely legitimate. But on the other hand, it also points up that part of this is -- as I indicated yesterday -- my own damn fault for not being more proactive in my own involvement in the issue, for not taking the initiative to educate myself to move the project forward. My observations about my own Cinderella tendencies are still valid.

In any case, I'm going to talk to my friend today about a possible "outside the box" solution. If installing a pump to keep the water level lower than my doorsill is not particularly feasible, what if we raise the doorsill? What if we create a concrete step at the doorway, raising the spot where the door meets the ground, and then either get a new door or cut down the one I have? I've been wanting a new door anyway. If we wanted to get really fancy, we could create a mini-porch outside and a raised landing inside, make it a "design feature", perhaps with decorative stonework or something. I don't know. . . but the point would be to raise the "ground" level above any reasonable expectation of drain backfill could rise to.

Comments

[bookchick.livejournal.com]

You might also find out how 'costly' costly is (particularly in relation to what has been happening in the past few years). Did your contractor friend say anything about if he would be able to either provide a quote or a contact on someone who could address the issue? If only because you can then compare all the different ideas that might fix the problem.

Sounds like what I ran into when I asked for input from various people - the more professional the friends' background (v. people who are do-it-yourselfers), the more obvious it was that the last owner's solution was a DIY patch-up.

As for Cinderella tendencies - shoot, I think it's human nature to want other people to take care of stuff. The Ex says he'll take care of it. It's not a fun thing to contemplate, thus it's easier to let him deal with it.

I'm not saying it's a good thing to be this way, and perhaps there's a 'big strong male' aspect to it all for you. However, as a woman who has always had both men and women default to ME to take care of it all, I can honestly say it crosses genders. Don't beat yourself up too much about it - the water will take care of that for you ;>.

[toesontheground.livejournal.com]

Peace be with you J* - it is a stressful situation, and long hours don't help. Hope you find a solution soon.

[femalegamer.livejournal.com]

I think that if the doorway is smaller, you'll have to get a new door; it's an exterior door, correct? It should be a metal door, since it should be a fire door, with some kind of foam and wood fill inside it.


To bring up a different topic, which might be more pleasent. I just received a lovely new tarot deck, and what with my husband having a wonderful laser, I'm going to try to make a box for it. Other than whatever I think looks pretty, would you recommend a particular type of wood?

[rocket-jockey.livejournal.com]

How deep does the water get outside your door?

If you raise the doorstep, the best thing to do is reframe the entry so you use a full-height door. If you have to build up too big a sill that won't be possible, but it would allow you to install a standard exterior security door and leaves a portal large enough to move furniture in and out - even Ikea boxes will be easier than with a short door.

If the amount of water you get inside is relatively small but spreads over your floor from the entry, you might consider installing a sill in the entry and putting a raised floor grate over it to prevent the water from infiltrating the rest of your house.

A drain pump usually involves digging a sump tank at the drain and putting the pump into it, then running a pipe from the sump to a higher elevation with another tank that drains into the house drain line. The second tank is vented so that if anything happens with the sewer (or drainfield, whichever you're using) the wastewater doesn't get siphoned back down into your entryway.