Demolition Time

Having just put the finishing touches on my kitchen remodel, it was time to start forming a plan of attack for the basement.  The first step was to determine the extent of the damage from the water.  I pulled back a few panels.  I was hoping that if I found any decay or mold, I could just cut two feet of drywall off the bottom and replace it.  I could either mud it in or cover it with paneling or wainscoting.

What I found was discouraging.  There were traces of black mold on the areas of drywall that didn't even get that much water, and even worse, there was signs that it was in the wood.

Before this tear off, I didn't know how the basement was constructed or insulated, or if there was any at all.  I now could see that the previous owner used 1" x 3" strips anchored into the concrete with 3/4" foamboard.  None of the seams were taped, and the smaller boards explained why I couldn't find a decent stud to mount a shelf a few years before.

I took a couple days looking at designs online trying to figure out if I could salvage the existing framework.  That's when I was told by a very insistent wife that our children were no longer allowed in the basement now that there was a known case of black mold.  So, the next day, I took the day off of work and started demolition at 8 a.m.



Ripping off the bottom 2 feet




A look at the foamboard and frames.



The drop ceiling was a casualty of demolition.



The north wall where the flooding occurred.

In the end, I decided to just junk all of it.  Between the strange framework and the damaged drywall, it was better to start from bare walls and do it right.

One thing I wasn't expecting to find was a 2 inch section of concrete missing against the north wall.  It was loose gravel.  I can only assume that when the previous owners put in the interior tiling, there was a conscious decision to not fill that over with concrete.  I can't understand why.  Would it be so that water coming down the wall could flow down into the ground and hopefully into the tiling system?  Allow air flow?  It didn't make sense.  Every video I've watched shows fresh concrete going back over top of the gravel above the tiles.  I consulted my cousin who's a builder, and he didn't see anything wrong with patching it, so I threw a layer of Quikpatch concrete over the stones.

It's a good thing I listened to my frantic wife.  Here's a shot of the black mold, now safely outside the house in a dumpster:





I now have a swimming pool in my yard

As winter of 2011 came to a close, the sump pump finally kicked on.  As the snow melted and the spring rains came, it was good to know that the system that was installed was working.



The kids love their new pool

 Originally, we talked about what we could do with the water from the sump.  Maybe make a rain garden.  Save it and use it to keep the grass green.

But reality soon sunk in -- there was so much water in the yard that I now had a huge pond of water wherever I diverted the sump lines.  The kids loved it, but I didn't.  The water just sat there, eventually sinking into the ground and heading right back to the sump pump where it would get discharged into the yard again.

At this point I decided to get the water as far away from the house as possible.

The plan called for connecting the discharge lines directly into the city's storm sewer.  About 7 months prior, the plumbing company left a hook-up to the sewer about 50 feet from the house.  I would just need to route all the pipes into the 4" drainpipe.  Sounds easy enough, but that meant a) changing the interior pipes, b) removing a concrete sidewalk where the pipe would go, c) burying 4" sewer pipe about 40 feet, d) replacing the concrete sidewalk.  I started work in early April and finally finished in mid July.

Step one: the sump line moved from the east side of the house to the south part of the house.  I learned that you can't drill through a glass window to discharge your line.

A picture of the old sidewalk and deck when we moved in.  The sump pipe came out right where the blue garbage can is.  The sidewalk was destined to be removed, since it was all heaved and nasty from being poured on clay, not sand.

Step 2: Excavating the concrete

Clay galore.  Not fun to dig out.

Laying the 4" sewer pipe.

The sod went right back on top of the pipe -- hardly noticeable that any construction was done.

Laying the fine gravel and sand for the new paver walkway.  I managed to connect the downspouts into the same sewer line.

Another look at the walkway before the pavers went in.

Installing the pavers.

I put two centennial hop plants and some left over annuals in the new space next to the garage.

A look at the finished walkway.

Pavers close up.  Renting a nice wet saw was the best decision of the project.

That's it!  Now that the water will be safely diverted away from the house, it's just a matter of sitting back and seeing if all the basement stays dry.