Hi - I'm buying a house and have been told that I need to have a curtain drain, about 3' deep, installed around the place. I know more or less the idea of the curtain drain, but have never installed one myself - is this a doable home maintenance project? Does anyone have a synopsis of what would need to be done?
Any advice would be super appreciated!
Thanks, Joshua Curtis
GOOGLE around for Curtain Drain for some ideas.
NOT a trivial job. You'll need a backhoe.
At 3 feet deep, is there a place to accept all that water? That is, some conduit/pond, etc. which is lower than the bottom of the curtain?
Jim
Have a read of this article >
I installed drainage on my property, capturing some low areas on my backyard and my gutter discharge.
What is the problem that drives the 'curtain drain' answer?
For my project I used a trencher and flex pipe, and it was a crap-load of work.
If you're going near the foundation, you're talking very careful backhoe work. One inattentive moment and you're crushing your house. Yipes.
The largest part of my job was trenching the discharge. The water has to go somewhere that it won't cause a problem for you or your immediate neighbors.
Its a big job, gets bids so you get an idea of it.
I assume the basement of the home has a water problem and the ground around the home slopes towards the house?
Two things you probably need a interior french drain with sump pump to really dry the basement! If the exterior slope is wrong UNDERGROUND WATER may also be moving towards the home:( the curtain drain wouldnt help underground water:(
I had this problem at my moms house:(
Installed french drain around most of home, regraded yard, replaced sidewalks and steps that were in the way of this project. Fired first execvator:( guy was a thief!
anyhow after a couple weeks of backbreaking work, I was the laborer to save bucks the execvating was complete, the concrete work was then done and yard restoration began......
A couple months later the outside looked wonderful! lush green lawn, all new concrete, real curb appeal:) as I planned on eventually selling! hey it was worth 10 grand:) total cost of job done on budget
Unfortunately the water problem never went completely away, and then got much worse.
Ended up spending another 6 grand for interior french drain, had lifetime dry basement warranty:) company in business 35 years, I can trust them:)
Within 2 years more water, lifetime companys president ill with cancer, company out of business:(
Spent another grand for additional work and sold home. hoppe its still dry its been 2 years and havent got any complaints.
hopefully my nightmare wouldnt be yours. If your in a low area a stream may have been thjere and filled in when homes were built.
Oh and curtain drain!
Use landscape fabric so mud doesnt clog lines, PLENTLY of gravel! for easy water movement, and heck that corrugated pipe is cheap I would install multiple lines for delay clogging.
at my moms home I unearthed lots of previous attempts all PACKED with mud.
I cant overstate the need for LOTS of gravel, and then a place to dump all the leftover dirt!]
This is one time to get the local building inspector involved since meeting code will likely result in a better job!]
What you want to avoid is buying home, curtain drain installed, then getting flodded a year later
dont panic just go in with eyes open!
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