Hello everyone,
Brief details: Single-family house with a basement made of precast concrete parts, built in 1979. The entire residential area was newly developed and built that same year. Located on the outskirts of town. The plot is connected to the road by a dead-end access path, with an elevation difference of about 2 meters (6.5 feet) between the road and the property.
After noticing that moisture returned following a water damage caused by heavy rain and subsequent building drying, we started looking for the cause. We have already excavated, sealed, and insulated part of the basement walls from the outside. Unfortunately, this did not change anything (except that our beautiful garden has been a construction site for months and the terrace was demolished).
We then decided to inspect the pipes and drainage with a sewer camera—our suspicion was a defect causing water buildup that then seeps into the house, or at least to get some clues about the condition of our pipes.
Yesterday, we lifted the inspection chamber outside on the property to access the pipes and insert the camera. However, at the bottom (which is about 4 meters (13 feet) deep), there is standing wastewater with a corresponding odor.
Here are my questions:
1. As far as I understand, there should actually be nothing standing down there—everything should flow away directly. Is that correct?
2. What does the bottom of an inspection chamber usually look like? According to the plans, there is a pipe coming from the house (which is visible) and an outlet pipe (which cannot be seen due to the level). I imagine a channel that leads directly into a "pit" opposite.
3. According to the officially approved wastewater plan from 1979, made during construction of our house, the drainage, rainwater from the roof, and wastewater are combined and led into the inspection chamber. The mixed water is then collectively discharged into the sewer system. Is this common? I always thought these were separated.
4. If we assume a blocked or defective wastewater pipe, should a company contracted by us fix it, or is it the municipality’s responsibility?
5. If we assume a blocked or defective wastewater pipe, is it possible that the rising water level from heavy rain pushes back into the pipes and drainage, preventing the rainwater "in the ground" from being drained, causing it to build up and push into the house? Wouldn’t we then have strongly smelling water inside the house? (We don’t, it’s just damp.)
I look forward to your feedback.
Best regards,
xola123
Brief details: Single-family house with a basement made of precast concrete parts, built in 1979. The entire residential area was newly developed and built that same year. Located on the outskirts of town. The plot is connected to the road by a dead-end access path, with an elevation difference of about 2 meters (6.5 feet) between the road and the property.
After noticing that moisture returned following a water damage caused by heavy rain and subsequent building drying, we started looking for the cause. We have already excavated, sealed, and insulated part of the basement walls from the outside. Unfortunately, this did not change anything (except that our beautiful garden has been a construction site for months and the terrace was demolished).
We then decided to inspect the pipes and drainage with a sewer camera—our suspicion was a defect causing water buildup that then seeps into the house, or at least to get some clues about the condition of our pipes.
Yesterday, we lifted the inspection chamber outside on the property to access the pipes and insert the camera. However, at the bottom (which is about 4 meters (13 feet) deep), there is standing wastewater with a corresponding odor.
Here are my questions:
1. As far as I understand, there should actually be nothing standing down there—everything should flow away directly. Is that correct?
2. What does the bottom of an inspection chamber usually look like? According to the plans, there is a pipe coming from the house (which is visible) and an outlet pipe (which cannot be seen due to the level). I imagine a channel that leads directly into a "pit" opposite.
3. According to the officially approved wastewater plan from 1979, made during construction of our house, the drainage, rainwater from the roof, and wastewater are combined and led into the inspection chamber. The mixed water is then collectively discharged into the sewer system. Is this common? I always thought these were separated.
4. If we assume a blocked or defective wastewater pipe, should a company contracted by us fix it, or is it the municipality’s responsibility?
5. If we assume a blocked or defective wastewater pipe, is it possible that the rising water level from heavy rain pushes back into the pipes and drainage, preventing the rainwater "in the ground" from being drained, causing it to build up and push into the house? Wouldn’t we then have strongly smelling water inside the house? (We don’t, it’s just damp.)
I look forward to your feedback.
Best regards,
xola123
B
Buchsbaum0666 Nov 2024 16:10Well, there has been heavy local rainfall, so it is quite possible that your groundwater level has risen.
It could also be due to external construction work nearby your house.
I would suspect that the screed needs to be removed, and then further steps can be assessed.
If the water in the basement was ankle-high, a standard building drying process is no longer sufficient.
It could also be due to external construction work nearby your house.
I would suspect that the screed needs to be removed, and then further steps can be assessed.
If the water in the basement was ankle-high, a standard building drying process is no longer sufficient.
After the drain cleaners came today, they found that the drain pipe in the inspection chamber is positioned slightly too high. This means that some water always has to collect at the bottom before it can rise and flow away. So, there is no blockage in the pipe. Works as designed.
In fact, they have now inspected almost all of our pipes with a camera and found that many stoneware pipes had shifted (in some cases severely, but mostly not that extreme). One section was broken, with shards and holes visible. This was exactly at the spot where we have the most moisture in the basement. We strongly believe we have now identified the cause.
Unfortunately, due to the angle of the connection, they could not inspect the drainage system—the camera could not handle that bend. Too bad, because I still suspect that in some areas the drainage is damaged or even missing.
In fact, they have now inspected almost all of our pipes with a camera and found that many stoneware pipes had shifted (in some cases severely, but mostly not that extreme). One section was broken, with shards and holes visible. This was exactly at the spot where we have the most moisture in the basement. We strongly believe we have now identified the cause.
Unfortunately, due to the angle of the connection, they could not inspect the drainage system—the camera could not handle that bend. Too bad, because I still suspect that in some areas the drainage is damaged or even missing.
xola123 schrieb:
that many clay pipes had shifted (sometimes severely, but mostly not too extreme). And one spot was broken, showing shards and holes, etc. The pipes will need to be replaced soon, before the garden and terrace are finished.
Considering the expected rainfall, I would also install a drainage channel for the terrace and connect it to the sewer system.
Additionally, the area around the house should be graded with a slight slope away from the building.
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