another water-in-my-basement question--walk-out basement edition
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Anonymous
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We have a walk-out basement with the submerged stairway. Like this (complete with algae-covered walls): http://inspectapedia.com/exterior/Basement_Walkout_Door_202_DJFs.jpg
We do our best to keep debris out of the stairwell, but after a storm like yesterday's, our drain, which clears just fine, was totally clogged up. There were probably 4"of water when I got home, and lapping up over the threshold of the door. I wasn't at home during the day to check on it, so consequently we had water seeping in through the doorway when I got home. Fortunately, there was only water on the hard surface flooring, and it hadn't reached the carpet yet. The giant towel I threw down, just in case, before I left for work was a joke. DH and our handyman want to cover the stairwell with something like a roof, but I'm not sure what the best approach is. I would like it to limit the leaves, debris and water that accumulate, though, especially since we can have weather problems when we're not at home to address. Any other solutions I haven't considered? |
Anonymous
| In addition to real remediation, you might consider an electronic alarm that detects when water leaks into the house and sends you an alert (email or something). |
Anonymous
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I have exactly the same issue and am looking at one of those domed filters that someone shared on another post yesterday. Other than that I keep a broom handy!
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Anonymous
| FYI - That's call a walk-up basement. A walk-up is where the exterior entrance is via a stairwell. A walk-out basement is at-grade at the exterior entrance. |
Anonymous
Thank you! That would probably improve my Google results. |
Anonymous
Me again. When we had a stairwell like that, we'd throw a milk crate over the drain when we were expecting heavy rain. Not a perfect solution, but it will do in a pinch. |
Anonymous
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We have this too. The old owners told us that putting a rubber tire mat over the drain was a lifesaver. Something like this:
http://thematking.com/business_industry/industrial/rubbermats/tire-link/tire_link_mats.htm We get water in our basement from other sources now but not from this drain. You still have to keep it clear of leaves and debris, but this prevents the drain from getting clogged. |
Anonymous
| was your drain clogged internally or just the outside grate? |
Anonymous
| Also have the drain snaked. A roof over the stairwell would reduce the rain that ends up down there. |
Anonymous
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We have the same kind of basement entry and drain.
I bought this drain cover and it's been an absolute lifesaver! The tiny little drain used to get covered with leaves, but this has really fixed that situation. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000ICXKN4/ref=wms_ohs_product?ie=UTF8&psc=1 If the drain itself can't handle the volume of water when it rains so much, I guess that that's another story. But we haven't had any water since we put the drain cover there. I also put some of these alarms near the door, at the suggestion of the plumber who replaced our sump pump. They seem very effective. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002Q8GRPG/ref=oh_details_o00_s00_i02?ie=UTF8&psc=1 |
Anonymous
Just outside. Once I cleared the debris, it drained faster than a bathtub. |
Anonymous
| It really helped my water issues to put a wood plank (or other type of barrier) at the top of the steps to block water from my yard/driveway. |
Anonymous
+1 for the roof over the stair well. Not sure when your house was built, but for older homes with these basement exterior stairs, I'd be very surprised that the drain actually even goes anywhere or is probably totally clogged with years of debris. |
Anonymous
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Is it a new home OP? Is it possible a subpar neighbor with a subpar house sabotaged a drain? There is a well known case in Langley about this. |