Plastic or Fabric?

[DaveW]

Plastic or Fabric? Advice/opinions needed.

Central Minnesota in an area with known with damp/wet basement problems (4 foot deep split level)

The stone landscaping and plastic has been removed, low spots filled (not tamped) in with dirt and graded away from the house with the intent to put the stone back around the foundation. (about 4ft border)

Neighbor wants to use fabric instead of plastic because he has "water bugs" and was told this was because the plastic doesn't let the ground dry out, giving the bugs a place to live.

Will the use of fabric relieve the bug problem? Will the use of fabric (when graded away from the house) be the same/more/less effective at reducing the dampness than what could be expected using plastic?

Thank you.

[Art Begun]

If you really want to fix the problem permanently, remove dirt 4 feet down to the footer, put in perfurated drainage hose covered with sock on the footer all around and downhill to a way out, waterproofing on the 4 foot outside walls, fille 2 feet with gravel covered on all sides with the fabric then 2 feet of dirt. Problem and bugs will be gone forever.

[DaveW]

It no doubt would be a better solution but not an option at this time. Only want to know if using the fabric will create more problems than what it solves, or if it would be better than using plastic.

I have my opinion on the matter and just want to see who is "all wet". :) Thank you.

[Art Begun]

Could use both if you are digging a little. Use plastic as the lower layer a foot or 2 down and fabric toward the top.

could

[barry martin]

Hi Dave!

D > Plastic or Fabric? D > Advice/opinions needed. D > D > Central Minnesota in an area with known with damp/wet D > basement problems (4 foot deep split level) D > D > The stone landscaping and plastic has been removed, low D > spots filled (not tamped) in with dirt and graded away from D > the house with the intent to put the stone back around the D > foundation. (about 4ft border) D > D > Neighbor wants to use fabric instead of plastic because he D > has "water bugs" and was told this was because the plastic D > doesn't let the ground dry out, giving the bugs a place to live.

Umm, "water bugs" is another name of cockroachs! When they spray your neighbour's home have them do your property (including shed, outdoor storage areas) when they do his, otherwise the little varmits will set up residency with you.

Anyway, back to the fabric vs. plastic issue. I would recommnd landscaping fabric. Have 'played' with various underlayments for the barked/mulched and rocked areas. Newspaper (several layers thick) will eventually decompose requiring reworking the area. (Used the portion of the paper printed with soy-based ink. Did not use the clay-based inserts.)

Plastic does not allow drainage. Also wood chips will slide off on a slope; probably float if flat. White rock gets dirty looking due to the mud and gunkies trapped above the plastic.

D > Will the use of fabric relieve the bug problem? D > Will the use of fabric (when graded away from the house) be the D > same/more/less effective at reducing the dampness than what could D > be expected using plastic?

The plastic would also trap moisture by not allowing it to evaporate.

- ¯ barry.martinþATþthesafebbs.zeppole.com ®

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