QuestionWe have a house that was built in the 1980s. It has a wood foundation - plywood below ground, no concrete. The water table is very high here - 7 foot? We want to put in french drains on either side of the house where we need to protect the foundation. Water seeps in after we water the lawn. I think it comes through the crawl space and under the walls. Our crawl space if filled with a heap of dirt and it is always wet. I spoke with an engineer and he said we should put in french drains and an infiltration trench leading to an underground gravel bed measuring approx 10'X40'. We have a sump pump in the basement now. It empties 4-6 inches of water every 3 hours. Can you help me figure out how to put the french drain/infiltration trench and gravel bed in without me having to pay an engineer to come out to our house? We are having egress windows installed in the basement so the contractor will have a back hoe on site. Thank you.
AnswerIm sorry, but I dont think I can help you with this. Putting in drains is a tricky matter, especially when protecting your home is concerned. You may want to check with a handyman or landscaper in your area who has some experiance with drainage. It might save you some money.
