Tracing a suspect pipe path and finding a leak

Thanks doggit. Couple of things...

1. If you remember, I did some paving a while back and I have a weed killer fabric which I planned to use under the paving, but you advised it won't do anything. So I never bothered. Could I use this as a permeable membrane???

2. I can't find a supplier locally where they sell a permeable drain and I plan to start this job tomorrow as it's clear weather. Can I buy a standard underground pipe such as THIS and make holes in it?

3. Not sure if I can connect to a surface drain because the perforated pipe is too low, unless you mean some other drain???

4. My plan is to use your method, but I haven't got a soakaway and the ground is solid clay. Can I simply use the land drain to divert the water away from the house to the middle of the driveway? If not, why not?
 
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1: I reckon it might work, as it's designed for water to pass through it - but don't hold me to it.

2: The permeable drains are smaller, and have loads of holes in, and are thiner, but I suppose if you wanted to make your own, I'd be inclined to use rain water down pipe, but that's going to be a hell of a lot of holes you need to drill in it.

3: Firstly, you're getting the water in the basements; how far down is that below the outside ground level. If the level you need to go is too low for the existing surface drains, then you'd either need a soakaway. Alternatively, as you're on a slope, can it be taken out to a lower point.

4: If you've got clay, the you'd need to dig the soakaway low enough to get down in to permeable ground. Clay will take away water, but obviously nowhere near as fast as soil is. There are ways of doing permeability tests to see how fast the soakaway drains, and if it's not draining fast enough then you have to keep digging lower. Now if you were to divert the water on to the driveway, then it'd obviously the drain into the road, and that's not allowed I'm afraid, so you're back to finding somewhere you can dig the soakaway that's not clay, because if you raise the land drain up too high to get into the surface drains, you risk water travelling through underneath it - but I'm not sure how much of a problem this would be in clay.
 
Thanks Doggit and Dilalio for the help and links.

1. I'll take the risk.

2. I don't mind making the holes. Wickes are selling a standard 110mm underground drain pipe for £9.99. It's similar to THIS.

3. Since the cellar is next to a sloping driveway, the ground touching it starts off 1mtr high, but then drops. My plan is to take it away from the house at least a metre or 1.5 metres.

4. I don't know how far down the clay goes. Sorry, I may not have explained clearly, but I didn't mean ONTO the driveway....I meant a soakaway (a hole in the ground filled with gravel), UNDER the driveway.

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EDIT:Sorry if this is going a bit off-topic, but I've just been to the cellar and noticed on the wall under which the water is seeping through, that there are condensing water droplets around the air grill & bricks. Also directly above this is the upstairs hallway wall which feels ever so slightly damp.

Is this being condensation caused by the leak under the footing stones?

View media item 100506View media item 100507View media item 100508View media item 100509View media item 100510
 
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It’s hard enough diagnosing something like this when I am on site and have eyes on! Practically impossible over distance and media such as this, even though you have been very detailed in your description!

May I suggest that you call a few drain guys and ask them if they’d be willing to survey what you have and if they’d give you some guidance, for a fee, for their time! Explain that you are willing to do the grunt work yourself but could do with some expert assessment.
 
It's condensation from the puddle - where's that airbrick go to with the pipe in it ?
 
Thanks dilalio, ian and nige f.

The airbrick and boiler drainage pipe go to outside over the driveway.

The dye/cctv has been tried and any issues dealt with by the water company.

Rather than call the building insurance, I have called some drainage guys today. They plan to dig to the footing stones and see whether there are any gaps that are letting water in.

Will let you know how I get on.
 
Hello guys.

I know it's been a while, but there's been a lot going on. The basement wall, where I suspect water is entering.....I decided to dig another 3 inspection holes along it, going higher up. The one you've seen previously was right at the bottom of the basement corner. It seems the water is only entering at bottom two inspection holes or the first 2metres. As you go higher up, it's totally dry.

Also, I've dug a 1.8mtr trench outside which is now below the footing stones and I can see that the old stones are sat on top of clay. I also have thrown some green dye on the outside trench.

INTERIOR-1ST INSPECTION HOLE (Lowest point - Water standing)
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INTERIOR-2ND INSPECTION HOLE (Water Standing)
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INTERIOR-3RD INSPECTION HOLE (Dry)
View media item 100649
INTERIOR-4TH INSPECTION HOLE (Highest Point - Dry)
View media item 100650
EXTERIOR TRENCH WITH RAIN WATER
View media item 100651
EXTERIOR TRENCH WITH GREEN DYE (NOTE THE TRENCH IS LOWER THAN THE FOOTING STONES)
View media item 100652
....Looking forward to your input of what you make of it.
 
Well I think you've just proved its rainwater that getting in, down underneath the footings. As water finds it's own level, it'll end up as high inside, as it is outside, so I think you've proved the need to divert it before it gets in, and I suspect you'll need to fill most of the outer trench with gravel to form a trap, as you don't know the level it's traveling at.
 
Thanks for your reply Doggit.

Yes, you're right. It's definitely rain water which seems to have found an entry under the footing stones, but there is no where for me to divert it as foundation stones are much lower than the driveway or even the street/road.

Also I don't know if you can see the photos clearly, but there are large gaps between each foundation stone.

Lastly how can I protect the clay under the foundation from eroding further?
 
How long has the building been up, and what makes you think the foundations are eroding, is there any evidence, or it's just a concern. As such structures such as the Hoover dam were built by pouring concrete into boxes under the water, they should be fine, but is there any rising damp up under the DPC.

It may be that rather than a soakaway, you have dig the land drain, and then divert it to a sump with a submersible pump, alternatively, just concrete the whole of the inside of the house.
 
The building has been around since the mid 30's. I could be totally wrong, but my concern is that the water has softened the clay under the foundation stones. Being an old house, I can't tell if it even has DPC. What does it look like?

I have a couple of questions:-

1. Since a trench has already been dug on the outside, is it worth also concreting the exterior foundations for extra protection, rather than just closing up the trench and just working on the inside?

2. What additive can I add to the concrete and cement to make it totally waterproof?

3. Is it worth buying the water stop hydraulic cement tubs, such as the KA Super Plug? These stop water almost instantly and I'm thinking of using them in gaps.

4. I would be happy to concrete the whole of the basement, but how will the concrete stick to clay and seal the gap where water is getting in from?
 
I'm not a pro, but a house on clay is a bit like a boat on water (not really, but kind of related). The subsoil has a certain bearing pressure based on how wet it is, and based on there being more soil around it all pressing in together. Dig out beside the footings, and the clay can move sideways and across, or wash out. That's why you shouldn't dig lower than your footings, or leave any trial holes open longer than necessary.
 

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