ᐅ Drainage for a House Without a Basement

Created on: 29 Jun 2012 21:30
V
Varta
V
Varta
29 Jun 2012 21:30
Good evening, dear members,

My girlfriend and I will start building our house in a few weeks, and our family has been asking whether we should have drainage installed. We are not planning a basement, and our builder is also firmly convinced that it is not necessary. The house will be about 20cm (8 inches) above street level, and drainage would not be effective against surface water anyway.

We do have a high groundwater level, but that should not be an issue.

What do you think? We are a bit uncertain about this but don’t want to spend money in the wrong place...

Thank you very much and best regards,

Dennis
P
perlenmann
30 Jun 2012 13:02
Spend the money on a soil survey report. It will tell you whether you need one or not. Additionally, it clearly explains the ground stability and whether any soil replacement is necessary. Everything else is just guesswork!
B
Bauexperte
30 Jun 2012 13:54
Hello Dennis,
Varta schrieb:
What do you all think? We’re a bit unsure about this, but we don’t want to spend money in the wrong place...

This is unfortunately a recurring issue where so-called friends or family members think they “know better.” Don’t let yourself be influenced by that.

Our architect always says, “With a drainage system, you actually attract water, including from the neighbors.” If your building surveyor says you don’t need one and this is supported by the soil report, you can save that money or use it more effectively.

Best regards
V
Varta
7 Dec 2012 19:42
Thank you for the information!
After some discussions, we decided not to install drainage because it needs to be buried quite deep and would not provide sufficient protection against surface water. Instead, we prefer to build the house a few centimeters above street level and slope the rest, such as the courtyard and garden, gently downhill.
Thank you!

Best regards,
Dennis