Category Archives: water proofing

Kitchens and Bathrooms New, mildew bathroom, plumbing, Remodeling Kitchens and Bathrooms, water proofing

Drain Troubles & Leaks

What could gurgling a rarely used wet bat sink when water drains in the kitchen at one end of the house or in a bath at the other end? Chances are that the wet bar is not vented or that its vent stack is blocked . You could check by looking for plumbing vent pipe protruding through the roof above the area. It will look like the ones above kitchen and bath.

Sluggish drainage is one symptom of this one problem . Sewer smell is another . When water drains in the kitchen or bath, its siphons water out of the wet bar’s drain trap , which produces a gurgling noise . Without the seal provided by water in the drain trap , sewer gas can rise up through th esink and into the house.

Big Backups
Even with proper venting, trap placement , and pipe sizing , drains still may be slow . This indicates a big blockage farther down the line. The best indicator that a blockage is in the waste line is sewage gurgling up through floor drains and basement fixtures. Solving this problem depends on your septic type.

If you have a septic system with a leachfield, your septic tank may need too be pumped out. This is a job for a professional , but it’s important to be around when the pumping concludes . Ask the pump operator if the tank was filled with enough greasy scum to cause the drain problems . If not the pipe’s in the leachfield itself may be the problem. Digging them up may be the solution.

If you’re tied into a municipal sewage system, check to see whether any work has been done on your branch line lately. If so , it could have caused problems with your drainage . If not, tree roots may have gotten into the pipes. Hire a professional to auger the line and pull out the tree roots , thereafter, flush copper sulfate root treatment through the line twice a year.

To find out whether the sink drainpipe or the flange in the sink is leaking, pour water leaks below , the problem is in the piping. If not, the problem is likely in the flange , clean off old caulk or plumbers putty ,install a fresh board of caulk , and retighten the flange . Leaks in the drainpipe generally occur in the trap . Some traps have a clean out nut that makes it easier to clean blockages.

To clear a stopped drain, you should start by using a plunger . For best results , block the over flow and second drain outlets; spread petroleum jelly on the rim of the plumbers helper, and use steady , forceful downward strokes to clear the clog . If this doe not work, you can try working a piece of wire , through the clean out plug and remove the blockage. However , snaking with a hand auger or power auger is much more effective . Disassemble the traps ; insert the auger and cleat out any blockages.

Foundation, water barrier, water proofing

French Drains Water Damage Prevention

Utility Lines are frequently laid in sand that provides a direct path for water to reach the foundation.

Swales and french drains . The means of transporting water away from the house besides sheet flow ( when the surface is effective running water ) are the swale and French Drain. A swail is a small valley formed by two sloped soil surfaces . Swales must me pitched ,or they become ponds. A swale should be located away from the building, and it is often used to divert sheet flow coming from uphill.

A french is a trench filled with rock or gravel that a collect water and transports laterally. I prepare the bottom of thtrench so thats smooth and carefully pitched toward the outlet. Mix dry cement with the soil in the bottom of the trench make it less permeable, and fill the trench with whatever clean gravel is locally available . I hesitate to used road stone , a blend of gravel and stone dust, because water passes through it slowly . If the gravel is to be exposed. I try to cap it with an attractive rounded stoned . If the drain is to covered m I provide graduated layers of smaller stone toward the surface , then perhaps, filter before the sod covering .

I sometimes use 4 inch smooth wall perforated plastic pipe in a french drain , particularly if I expect it to carry a big volume of water , say runoff from the futures. There are fittings that connect downspouts directly into this pipe . If you do this, install cleanest at least every 50 feet ad keep in gutters clean . Otherwise the can pipe can become clogged with leaves . I don’t use corrugated pipe for drainage because it is more easily and is more difficult to clean.

Concrete patios , stoops , driveways , and side walks abutting the foundation present problems . It is important to design them so that the gravel beneath the drains outward ,a perfect use for a French drain. You way dined that the driveway is one of most convenient site for a French drain. Driveways usually pitch away from the house , and a French drain can be integrated with the driveway so that it will not call attention to itself.

Where should the water go?

To my knowledge , municipalities mo longer provide storm sewer service for a new residential run of . In my area , they do mot receive the output from sump pumps. They receive and treat storm water to keep streets open, and that’s about it . If the isn’t enough elevation difference between the house and a point on the lot where a pitched drain can come to daylight , then another solution is needed . Theoretically , if the pipe never pitches back, you don’t
need more than the diameter of the pipe in elevation difference difference . Practically , more is better and 1’4 inch pipe .

Because have the pitch below grade, run off can go to dry wells. Drainage structures must buried somewhere on site .

water barrier, water proofing

Soil Testing When test/water damage

When should you call un a soils engineer ?

Many builders and architects are reluctant to hire engineers perform subsurface investigations, and that’s easy to understand : The cost of a house can go up few thousand dollars . Despite the cost, there are circumstances which consulting soil engineer is a wise investment.

If you wondering how earth you are supposed to build a house on a lot with a steep slope, then you need an engineer to determine the soil properties and to evaluate the stability of the incline.

A local history of the presence of the clay soils that are susceptible to shrinking and swelling with changes in moisture content also requires careful investigation and usually , specialized deign services and the use of an out of the ordinary foundation.

Consult your experience . If you are crossing your fingers and hoping the soil conditions would not cause a problem ,you are probably , right to be uneasy . Call in the specialist
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Just like concrete in you basement slab. Failure to compact is what leads to cracking sidewalk uneven slabs.

It is particular important that fill be placed in thin layers so that the densification effect of the compaction equipment is it felt the all the way to the bottom each layer. The maximum thickness for each layer depends on soil type : Ordinarily about 12 inches for sandNS 6 inch to 8 inch for clay. The required degree denisification usually set forth by the local building code and specified as some percentage of maximum dry density as determined by one of several standard methods.

The moisture content of the fill material must also be controlled . If the moisture is too low , it is difficult for individual soil grains to realign themselves into the densest configuration ; adding moisture lubricates the grins and make realignment easier . But if there is too much moisture , the soil becomes unstable under the influence of compaction effort will be the water between the soil grins and result in a water bed like rolling the soil . Granular soils such as sand are most desirable for use as fill because their moisture content can be easily tweaked.

TO prevent settlement problems, soil that is stable and compacted must extend at least half the distance from the base of the footing to the influence depth ( the farthest distance beneath the footing that its weight is felt by soil particles.) Strip foundations ( such as the wall in the drawing below right ) as the pedestal the drawing and thus have greater influence depths.

Stable compacted fill extends half the influence depth. Only soil grains inside this stress bulb feel the weight of the foundation. The formula applied when the length of the foundation is 10 or more times greater than its width.

Stable compacted fill extends half the influence depth , Influence depth is (ID)=4xB

Basement, Foundation, plumbing, water barrier, water proofing

Details for drying Foundation

As a research architect at the Building Research Council of the University of Illinois, I am paid to solve some of the more nagging problems that houses have . Frequently , I visit troubled houses, troubled houses, and the most common problem I encounter is poor drainage away from the foundation .This problem became worse as wetlands were developed ; I know what to expect when the name of the developed : I know what to expect when the name of the development is Frog Hollow .

I was once asked yo looked at a house that had settling problems . An addition , built over a crawl space was moving down the relative to the main house. the dirt floor of the crawl space was even with the bottom of the footing. The soil along the of the footing . The soil along the edge along the edge of the footing was in small clumps, unlike the grainy fruity surface of the rest of the floor . I dug away a little more and found drain and found save that reminded me of a prison escape tunnel . In all, 10 ft. of the footing was under minded.

I call my studies of the zone where the house meets the ground building periodontics. Proper preventative care of this area can avoid a variety of problems, some less obvious and a lot more serious than a damp cellar.

For example , a common problem in basements particular those with block walls, is inward buckling . This usually shows up as a horizontal crack one or two blocks below grade , or at window walls , stepping up or down at the corners . A study I did with Illinois State Geological Survey revealed the cause . Clay soils shrink during spells forming a crevice between the soil and the foundation wall. Wind and light rains carry dirt into this crevice . Then, when seasonal rains come, the soils swells back to original dimension, plus the increment of added soil . Over time , the walls watched inward and eventually buckles. You avoid this problem by keeping the soil next to the foundation dry.

Slabs suffer from water problems , too. Garage floors, for example , commonly crack at the outside corners near where gutters drain. This cracking may be due to upward expansion of water directly below the corner. It can also be due to adhesion lifting of the perimeter wall, a situation occurring when saturated soil freezes fast to the foundation wall . The soil nearest the surface is the first freeze , and as the cold water continues , deeper soil freezes. This saturated soil by 8 percent as it freezes, exerting a tremendous force that lifts the soil frozen to the wall above. The wall lifts and cracks the slab .

Moisture damage around the foundations is not limited to masonry problems . In 1947 , Ralph Briton , the government researcher whose work led to current attic ventilation standards , showed that water vapor traveling upward from damp foundations caused moist attic moisture problems . He colluded that if attics are isolated from wet foundations, the standard 1:300 venting ratio could be reduced to 1:3000 .

Foundation, stucco, water barrier, water proofing

Stucco R value important mildew prevention

Prized for its weather resistance , durability , and timeless beauty , stucco has longbow one of the most popular exterior wall finishes . As a building material , stucco is essentially and exterior plastered of Portland cement, sand , and water . Other ingredients may include lime , masonry cement , and various special additives for enhancing properties like crack resistance , workability and strength . With a few exceptions , stucco is applied much as it has been for centuries a wet mix is troweled onto the wall in successive layers , with the final coat proving the finished color andy decorative surface texture desired .

The two traditional stucco systems are the three coat system for standard wood framed wall and the two coat system used for masonry walls , like brick poured concrete , and concrete block. And today , there’s a third process the one and coat system which allows you to finish standard framed walls with a single layer of stucco , saving you money and considerable time and labor over traditional three coat applications. Each of these systems is described in detail not the next page.

The following pages show you an overview of the materials and basic techniques for finished a wall with stucco . While cladding an entire house or addition is a job professionals masons, smaller projects and repair work can be much more doable for the less experienced . Fortunately , all the stucco materials you can be sure of getting the right blend of ingredients for each application . During your planning, consult with the local building department , fire ratings for walls , control joints, and other critical factors.

Stucco is one of the most durable and low maintenance wall finishes available but it requires getting watch stage of the stucco itself. For this reason , Dyers may want to limit their stucco work to small structures or to repair work only.

Three coat stucco is the traditional application for stud framed walls covered with plywood , oriented strand board OSB, rigid foam insulation sheathing . It starts with two layers of grade D building paper for a moisture barrier. the wall is then covered with self furring expanded metal lath fastened to the framing with galvanized nails .

The first layer of stucco , called the scratch coat , is pressed into the lath , then smoothed to a flat layer about 3/8 inch thick . While still wet , the stucco is scratched with a raking tool to create keys or tooth for the next layer to adhere to .

The brown coat is the layer , Its about 3/8 and brings the wall surface to with 1/4 inch of the finished thickness. Imperfections here can easily telegraph through the thin final coat, so the surface must be smooth and flat. To provide tooth for the final layer ,the brown coat is finished with wood float for a slightly roughed texture.