Interesting that you went with that homemade solution instead of the purpose built dimple mat that was cheaper. That is a unique soil condition for sure. Thanks for the videos!
Thanks! I considered dimple but the shower panels were almost twice as thick and my rocks are very large. Plus because if all the rocks and lack of clay I didn’t need the dimple structure to prevent hydrostatic pressure.
That's a very good tip to use that blue rubber sealant and that plastic flex board. I didn't use that but will the next time I build with ICF. Thanks but you really should do a drain just for extra insurance. What I did was lay road fabric from the finished dirt height on the ICF, down the wall, across the bottom and up the dirt hill. Then install the drain pipe and cover with 5/8th minus almost all the way to the top of finished dirt height. Then cover the rock with road fabric and add clean dirt on top of that like about 8 inches or so. the road fabric will protect your drain from getting clogged with dirt. You also should slide a fabric sock around the drain pipe. Then your fully covered and won't have to dig it out again to fix it like I did. I live in a rain forest in WA and I as well had the same situation with digging out my foundation in river rock. I have a cold joint between my footer and ICF. That became an issue as the water found it's way in.
Thanks for the good thoughts. I live in a high mountain desert that gets less than 20 inches of water per year. and as fast as the water hits the rubble rock it disappears. The water table is hundreds of feet below me. Especially because I am about 150 feet away from a significant drop of over 100 feet down into what we call the river bottoms. My excavator has been putting basements into this bench area for over 40 years and he has never seen anyone put in a french drain because it just isn't needed. The other thing I have going for me is that I will have everything sloped away from the house and with a mono slope roof all of the roof water will go to the south where it will land on the greenhouse roof which will take it an additional 12 feet away from the ICF walls and footer. But in 99% of other cases it would be very prudent to do so!!!
@@LegacyViewsICFhomeBuildHey thanks. That's some good info. My house needs that drain pipe and the soft scape slops towards my ICF foundation wall. I will have to fix that issue.
Your basement will stay dry. But, you spent more time & money over-engineering what you did to get that. Fine to do once if you have time & cash to dispose of but not too helpful for efficiency. Thank you for sharing and good luck with your build.
Thanks for the comment. I do have the time and the extra money was just a couple of hundred extra dollars compared to dimple mat. And this was almost twice as thick. I'm not confident that the dimple mat would have been able to hold up against the the size and amount of rocks in my backfill. And with all the work I put into applying and paying for the rubber membrane I didn't want to chance it :)
The most important Part - What about the Drainage pipework Pipework natural fall gravity to open air space or Electrical pump out You have to use a 2 x motor Pumpout system. Note : the External system is better than internal sump pump or both. Large Pipework eg 150mm / 6" and trench work & Gravel & Drainpipe is the best Fail safe.
If I lived anywhere else I would agree the drainage pipe would be critical. I live on several hundred feet of rubble rock that as fast as I pour water on it the water disappears. My excavator has been digging basements along this bench for 40 years and he has never seen anyone put in a French drain. After pumping water out of my footer forms onto my crawlspace floor and watching the water just disappear I was able to see it with my own eyes 😁
Comments You get Fools everywhere They eventually learn the hard way. I wish I had 2 bucks for every idiot that said it's not Required. When it Comes to Building Works Especially when below Ground You have to do it once And Do it Properly If Building on Sand or on Porous substrate You still have to follow the last 2,500 years of Science & Established Building Rules. Ground watertable levels can vary Or get backed up. 1 or 2 weeks of Rain Flooding in area Tidal movements Hurricanes in the close vicinity - It does not have to be overhead. Earthquakes can change the local Ground works & water tables. If will fail & cause Damage So now you can Re Do it properly A lot of expensive Costs + And add on all the Damage to property.
I should have mentioned I am 50 yards away from where the rubble rock that I am building on drops about 200 feet down into the river bottoms. It is literally impossible for the water table to rise that high. I live in a high mountain desert. We get less than 20 inches of moisture a year. Most of that is snow. Like I said my excavator has been putting in basements in this area for over 40 years and never once put in a French drain. Plus the city inspector didn’t require it either. And zero clay or sand was found in my soils report from the two 16 foot holes that were dug. You are correct in almost all cases but not in mine. Any water that falls on my property disappears forever as it travels right past my walls and keeps on going for at least 200 more feet and probably much further.
Interesting that you went with that homemade solution instead of the purpose built dimple mat that was cheaper. That is a unique soil condition for sure. Thanks for the videos!
Thanks!
I considered dimple but the shower panels were almost twice as thick and my rocks are very large. Plus because if all the rocks and lack of clay I didn’t need the dimple structure to prevent hydrostatic pressure.
That's a very good tip to use that blue rubber sealant and that plastic flex board. I didn't use that but will the next time I build with ICF. Thanks but you really should do a drain just for extra insurance. What I did was lay road fabric from the finished dirt height on the ICF, down the wall, across the bottom and up the dirt hill. Then install the drain pipe and cover with 5/8th minus almost all the way to the top of finished dirt height. Then cover the rock with road fabric and add clean dirt on top of that like about 8 inches or so. the road fabric will protect your drain from getting clogged with dirt. You also should slide a fabric sock around the drain pipe. Then your fully covered and won't have to dig it out again to fix it like I did. I live in a rain forest in WA and I as well had the same situation with digging out my foundation in river rock. I have a cold joint between my footer and ICF. That became an issue as the water found it's way in.
Thanks for the good thoughts. I live in a high mountain desert that gets less than 20 inches of water per year. and as fast as the water hits the rubble rock it disappears. The water table is hundreds of feet below me. Especially because I am about 150 feet away from a significant drop of over 100 feet down into what we call the river bottoms. My excavator has been putting basements into this bench area for over 40 years and he has never seen anyone put in a french drain because it just isn't needed.
The other thing I have going for me is that I will have everything sloped away from the house and with a mono slope roof all of the roof water will go to the south where it will land on the greenhouse roof which will take it an additional 12 feet away from the ICF walls and footer.
But in 99% of other cases it would be very prudent to do so!!!
@@LegacyViewsICFhomeBuildHey thanks. That's some good info. My house needs that drain pipe and the soft scape slops towards my ICF foundation wall. I will have to fix that issue.
Your basement will stay dry. But, you spent more time & money over-engineering what you did to get that. Fine to do once if you have time & cash to dispose of but not too helpful for efficiency. Thank you for sharing and good luck with your build.
Thanks for the comment. I do have the time and the extra money was just a couple of hundred extra dollars compared to dimple mat. And this was almost twice as thick. I'm not confident that the dimple mat would have been able to hold up against the the size and amount of rocks in my backfill.
And with all the work I put into applying and paying for the rubber membrane I didn't want to chance it :)
The most important
Part -
What about the Drainage pipework
Pipework natural fall gravity to open air space or
Electrical pump out
You have to use a 2 x motor Pumpout system.
Note : the External system is better than internal sump pump or both.
Large Pipework eg 150mm / 6" and
trench work & Gravel & Drainpipe is the best
Fail safe.
If I lived anywhere else I would agree the drainage pipe would be critical. I live on several hundred feet of rubble rock that as fast as I pour water on it the water disappears.
My excavator has been digging basements along this bench for 40 years and he has never seen anyone put in a French drain. After pumping water out of my footer forms onto my crawlspace floor and watching the water just disappear I was able to see it with my own eyes 😁
Comments
You get Fools everywhere
They eventually learn the hard way.
I wish I had 2 bucks for every idiot that said it's not Required.
When it Comes to Building Works
Especially when below Ground
You have to do it once
And Do it Properly
If Building on Sand or on Porous substrate
You still have to follow the last 2,500 years of Science & Established Building Rules.
Ground watertable levels can vary
Or get backed up.
1 or 2 weeks of Rain
Flooding in area
Tidal movements
Hurricanes in the close vicinity -
It does not have to be overhead.
Earthquakes can change the local
Ground works & water tables.
If will fail & cause Damage
So now you can Re Do it properly
A lot of expensive Costs +
And add on all the Damage to property.
I should have mentioned I am 50 yards away from where the rubble rock that I am building on drops about 200 feet down into the river bottoms. It is literally impossible for the water table to rise that high. I live in a high mountain desert. We get less than 20 inches of moisture a year. Most of that is snow.
Like I said my excavator has been putting in basements in this area for over 40 years and never once put in a French drain. Plus the city inspector didn’t require it either. And zero clay or sand was found in my soils report from the two 16 foot holes that were dug.
You are correct in almost all cases but not in mine. Any water that falls on my property disappears forever as it travels right past my walls and keeps on going for at least 200 more feet and probably much further.