Hi can anybody out there help me, I have come to a dead end after much investigation and money spent. Every time it rains, I have water coming into my house through my wall. Up to about an inch of water covers the whole of the sub floor and soaks away when the rain stops. My drive slopes slightly towards the house and a drain company suggested fitting a Aco drain which I have to no avail. I have also paid a company to come out and put cameras down the pipe which takes the water away from my rainwater gully into the mains to see if there is any damage. None was found. I have put the rainwater downpipe into a water butt so it is not going down the drain, no difference. I have had 2 extra air bricks put in my wall to aid ventilation. I have just stripped my walls and the back wall of my living room which is at the opposite side of the wall where the water is entering is damp and the plaster has bubbled. I am afraid to put carpet or laminate down in case it causes more damage as the sub floor wont have as much ventilation and it may cause rising damp. All the other floors in the downstairs of my house are concrete so i cant get any airbrick flow to aid ventilation. Could this be a water table problem? I have asked my neighbours and they dont have the same problem. Any suggestions? PS The house is about 80 years old.
Water under my floorboards when it rains
- Thread starter Christien
- Start date
Sponsored Links
It's quite common, just search the forum for "water under floorboards" and you find lots of advice.
Here's one to get you started:
//www.diynot.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=264899
Cheers.
Here's one to get you started:
//www.diynot.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=264899
Cheers.
Many thanks Hammerswinger. I have sent an email to the Environment Agency to see if it is the water table level. I have my doubts because I am the only one in my row of 3 terraced houses who is having the problem and my house is on a slightly higher level the other two ajoining houses. I would just put my carpet back down and live in ignorant bliss of the situation if I could but the water under the boards is making my walls damp, not to mention my life a misery! It is taking over my life!!!!! 
Thanks again for your contribution.
Thanks again for your contribution.
If the ACCO drain is in fact working and collecting and taking water away to a drain, and if no drains are leaking, then the problem would be sub-surface movement of water
In this case, it would normally involve a perforated drain below the surface and level with the concrete oversite below your floor, to remove excess water.
Alternatively a channel of free draining material (eg gravel) below the surface to collect and drain water.
The actual remedy would depend on the type of subsoil though, and if/how water can be taken away
In relation to the airbrick thread, ventilation will only deal with moderate water, and will not dry out constantly flooded subfloors
In this case, it would normally involve a perforated drain below the surface and level with the concrete oversite below your floor, to remove excess water.
Alternatively a channel of free draining material (eg gravel) below the surface to collect and drain water.
The actual remedy would depend on the type of subsoil though, and if/how water can be taken away
In relation to the airbrick thread, ventilation will only deal with moderate water, and will not dry out constantly flooded subfloors
Sponsored Links
as you are in a terrace it may be that one of your neighbours has a broken gulley. If the are glazed clay, they often break at the bend. Solution is to dig it out and fit a new one. They might have built a patio or extension over it. If your neighbours will let you put a hosepipe down the gulley or gutter in dry weather, while you observe your subfloor, you should be able to identify where it is coming from. It may also be useful for you to dig a few small trial pits in the garden and see which one fills up fastest, this will give you a clue as it will probably be the one nearest to the source.
Outbuildings and garages should be viewed with suspicion as they may not go to drains or soakaways.
If you have reasonable access to your subfloor, you may be able to tell if the water is coming up through the floor, or (more likely) through a side wall. It is possible to seal off cracks or leaky sections. This may cause the water to pool under the house where the water is coming from, which I think is their problem.
Outbuildings and garages should be viewed with suspicion as they may not go to drains or soakaways.
If you have reasonable access to your subfloor, you may be able to tell if the water is coming up through the floor, or (more likely) through a side wall. It is possible to seal off cracks or leaky sections. This may cause the water to pool under the house where the water is coming from, which I think is their problem.
Christien,
Been reading your posts and others comments. I have the same problem. Did you get it sorted in the end and if so what option/solution did you go for. I'm just about to attempt to either tank and line foundations and fit aco drain around perimeter of the front of my house??????
Marcus
Been reading your posts and others comments. I have the same problem. Did you get it sorted in the end and if so what option/solution did you go for. I'm just about to attempt to either tank and line foundations and fit aco drain around perimeter of the front of my house??????
Marcus
Hi Marcus.
I gave up in the end. I had my internal walls silicone injected and put my underlay and carpet back down. I now use a dehumidifier when it rains. So far, I have had no damp issues. It was taking over my life, there were no obvious reasons for the water issue. I just assume its something to do with the water table. Now its out of sight and out of mind. I would defo recommend this option if you are not having any damp issues. Please let me know if you have a success story.
Kind regards and good luck!!
Christien
I gave up in the end. I had my internal walls silicone injected and put my underlay and carpet back down. I now use a dehumidifier when it rains. So far, I have had no damp issues. It was taking over my life, there were no obvious reasons for the water issue. I just assume its something to do with the water table. Now its out of sight and out of mind. I would defo recommend this option if you are not having any damp issues. Please let me know if you have a success story.
Kind regards and good luck!!
Christien
- Joined
- 25 Feb 2005
- Messages
- 1,416
- Reaction score
- 207
- Country
I had a similar problem. Imagine a barn with a pigsty on the end of it. Total length of back wall about 50'. The adjacent field (not mine) slopes down to this wall though flattening out about 10' from it. In the winter there was a puddle 3" deep and 8' long on this flat bit behind the barn and water leaked through the barn and pigsty wall because their floors were below the field level. The water then pooled up on the concrete floors and had to be pumped out.
To cure this problem I dug out next to the wall to the depth of their foundations, lined the wall with "Visquene", though any waterproof material would do, then I put down a vertical wall of gravel about 6" wide at the bottom, with a one of those perforated drainage pipe in it and Then a vertical garden membrane, which was filled with gravel to the Visquene, this was then all back filled and capped of with a long strip of "Corex", which stood about 6" above the field level. The end of the perforated pipe was just led out in the field (20'?) with a slight drop on it and backfilled with gravel and capped with a bit of membrane. Problem solved.
The theory is that surface flood water will hit the Corex and not penetrate the wall. Subsurface water will soak along until it hits the gravel when it will drop to the perforated pipe, which will let the water dribble out back into the field due to its slope.
Cost was less then £100, though a lot of digging.
Frank
To cure this problem I dug out next to the wall to the depth of their foundations, lined the wall with "Visquene", though any waterproof material would do, then I put down a vertical wall of gravel about 6" wide at the bottom, with a one of those perforated drainage pipe in it and Then a vertical garden membrane, which was filled with gravel to the Visquene, this was then all back filled and capped of with a long strip of "Corex", which stood about 6" above the field level. The end of the perforated pipe was just led out in the field (20'?) with a slight drop on it and backfilled with gravel and capped with a bit of membrane. Problem solved.
The theory is that surface flood water will hit the Corex and not penetrate the wall. Subsurface water will soak along until it hits the gravel when it will drop to the perforated pipe, which will let the water dribble out back into the field due to its slope.
Cost was less then £100, though a lot of digging.
Frank
Hi Frank,
Though in theory, this is a good idea, in practice for me anyway it would be a time consuming and costly exercise. I would have to take all my floorboards and possibly some joists and dig up my drive which is tarmaced. then replace the joists and floor boards. My living room is exactly that as my kitchen is very small so this could not be a viable solution for me. Some one else suggested to fill the void under my boards with concrete but for one, I have my central heating pipes running under there and for two, the water will find another level....it always does.
Happy that it has worked out well for you though!!
Christein
Though in theory, this is a good idea, in practice for me anyway it would be a time consuming and costly exercise. I would have to take all my floorboards and possibly some joists and dig up my drive which is tarmaced. then replace the joists and floor boards. My living room is exactly that as my kitchen is very small so this could not be a viable solution for me. Some one else suggested to fill the void under my boards with concrete but for one, I have my central heating pipes running under there and for two, the water will find another level....it always does.
Happy that it has worked out well for you though!!
Christein
- Joined
- 25 Feb 2005
- Messages
- 1,416
- Reaction score
- 207
- Country
This ere' Arco drain if it does not take the water anywhere, then lift the grills out and cut big holes in the base of it and bore deep holes downwards into the soil, back fill the holes with gravel. So now the holes will drain the surface water downwards into the dry soil (because its capped with your tarmac). If you can get the depth deep enough and the free volume big enough, the water will disappear down the plug holes faster then it can seep through your walls.
Frank
Frank
DIYnot Local
Staff member
If you need to find a tradesperson to get your job done, please try our local search below, or if you are doing it yourself you can find suppliers local to you.
Select the supplier or trade you require, enter your location to begin your search.
Are you a trade or supplier? You can create your listing free at DIYnot Local
Sponsored Links
