Water under the floorboards

[Baileysfromashoe]

We've recently discovered approx 2 inches of water under our suspended wooden floor, following the very heavy rain a few weeks ago. (Lived there only 15 months, 1930s detached).

We vax'd out most of it and it has all since disappated into the ground.

We've had a broken rainwater gully fixed, had the drains checked and the water supply checked, no other leaks. The ground slopes towards the house and we are a 'low' point of the street, so eems to be a water table issue.

Chatting to the neighbours has revealed previous owners used to pump the water out (not disclosed to us when purchasing but thats another story and something we need to decide whether to pursue)

What sorts of things can we do to mitigate this? I've over googled as per normal and now don't know what the best courses of action are to take...

I've read about sump pumps - who could install these? We were about to install some lvt over the wooden floors but this would mean we couldn't monitor levels or access a pump. Although I have heard you can end up pumping mud away from under the house, creating subsistence.

We are planning to get the driveway and garden tarmaced/re- paved (currently very old cracked concrete) - obviously we now need to consider drainage carefully, but it is an opportunity to install some better drainage - what should we consider - french drains, land drains, soakaways? Who would we go to for advice, driveway companies, landscaping companies, drainage companies or groundwork companies?

Someone has also suggested a layer of gravel in the void to cover up to the level the water came up to - is this likely to help?

Any advice would be much appreciated, thank you.

 

[bernardgreen]

If you cannot arrange any access to the pump when under the floor then put the pump outside the house where it is accessible. Something similar to this sketch.

That said if it is only 2 inches and percolates away after the water table has dropped then it may not be a serious problem as regards damage to foundations.

The house has stood for 90 years with possibly having been pumped out.

Gravel will reduce the amount of water that flows in and out thus reduce any affect on surrounding soil.

Ventilation under the suspended floor is necessary to reduce the effects of damp on timber.

The sketch was for dealing with over 9 inches of water that reached the under sides of the joists. The pump discharges conveniently into a combined sewer ( waste and surface water ) so is removed from the property. Discharging to a soakaway near the house in a high water table means the water is outside and will try to get back in.

 

[Baileysfromashoe]

Thanks for this, may have to look at installing something. Need to know how bad it gets really so will.monitor it, its about 3 inches at its deepest after around a days worth of heavy rain, which seems a lot to say how dry it has been recently.