Debbie
06-18-2002, 04:19 PM
I live in a tri-level (split level) home. The living room and kitchen are on a slab. A half flight of stairs down is the lower level. There is a heat duct that runs under the living room/kitchen slab to provide heat for that level. This duct goes in through the poured concete wall of the lower level. When we have a considerable amount of rain, water leaks in under the duct work, down the concrete wall, and onto the floor of the lower level. What can I do to fix this problem?
One company suggested installing drain tile along the inside of the living room/kitchen slab, drilling a weep hole in the tile, installing a sump pump in the lower level, and then pumping the water up and outside from the lower level. This seems to be a way to fix the problem, but to do this he would be cutting a trench through my living room and kitchen on the inside of the house. He says he will fill it with gravel and reconcrete. What about the potential of cracking the slab? Or the potential of cracking the lower poured walls? Or the settling of the new concrete. Has anyone ever heard of this being done and if so does it work?
One company suggested installing drain tile along the inside of the living room/kitchen slab, drilling a weep hole in the tile, installing a sump pump in the lower level, and then pumping the water up and outside from the lower level. This seems to be a way to fix the problem, but to do this he would be cutting a trench through my living room and kitchen on the inside of the house. He says he will fill it with gravel and reconcrete. What about the potential of cracking the slab? Or the potential of cracking the lower poured walls? Or the settling of the new concrete. Has anyone ever heard of this being done and if so does it work?