Probably a stupid question...

Is it really that bad for a home on a slab foundation to have water standing an inch or inch and a half deep on one side immediately following very heavy rains? We have had six or six and a half inches of rain in the area over the last few days, and in back it is not draining away as rapidly as it is in front. The whole back yard in basically under an inch of water, but you don't find this out until you walk out in it and mash the grass down. And the wife is convinced that we have to raise the level of the back yard in the next couple of weeks if we are to avoid a cracked slab. I am willing and able, but I really wonder if she is not blowing things out of proportion. Can anyone else chime in and illuminate the matter for me a bit, please? Sorry to be so ignorant, but I just don't understand the magnitude of the of it all.

Ignorantly yours,

Dave

Reply to
Dave
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With the limited information in your post a definitive recommendation is not realistic. However, your (wife's) concerns are certainly valid. An assessment and plan from a qualified engineer would be a good place to start. If front to back drainage is necessary, then you will have plans for city hall to issue the required permits, and specs for bidding from local contractors. Or, you may get lucky and learn that such situations are nothing to worry about. You might even find that the developer should not have graded in this fashion, and a bit of legal pressure is advisable. Take a step at a time and good luck.

Joe

Reply to
Joe

No real question that you need answered is stupid. Trolls asking unless questions or comments we treat rather harshly.

6 --- 61/2" of rain over a few days sounds like an abnormal amount just about any where. That would be my first question to you.

If this is a regular thing, the standing water, then you may have a potential problem. Sometimes the developer doesn't get the grading quite right in a slab neighborhood.

Raising the back yard may not be an acceptable solution since development regulations in most modern subdivisions expressly forbid the homeowner from doing anything that changes the water flow patterns as created by the landscape architect.

Get back to us with more info.

Reply to
Colbyt

Location? Soil type? Thickness of slab? Type of slab (cable tension?)?

I would not worry for the moment. Many houses have floods (Hurricanes) without slab damage. Other areas get 10-20 inches of rain. It takes days for the saturated soil to drain.

I would grade the back lot to reduce standing water in the future.

/chime off

Reply to
Oren

Thanks, all for the feedback and input. I do appreciate it. Will talk with the wife and try to find someone appropriate to consult. And thanks for the gentle replies. :)

Just for further info, this is outside of Houston, on "gumbo" soil (high degree of clay, I suppose, very little organic matter and no sand or stone) and only happens with very heavy rains over a short period of time. Still, the wife is concerned.

Preciate it...

Dave

Reply to
Dave

Forgot to mention, I don't know the thickness of the slab but it looks like

14 or 15 inches at least, and at one time the previous owners had it repaired (due to crack? don't know) by jacking it up (I believe) and placing bell towers under it, then pouring concrete in around the bell towers to provide greater strength and stability (I suppose). This from a neighbor (now deceased) who moved into the the neighborhood from the start, lived next door, and was well versed in its history. House was built in 1958, I believe. We have had it since 2004, and at one point had someone come out and measure (using a GPS system of some sort) to see how level it all was. Results showed it was level to within 5/8 of an inch from one diagonal corner to another, IIRC. That was right before we had it remodeled, and the contractor found that the A/C had been sweating onto the main support beam of the house for 20+ years, which was by then half-rotten. He replaced that beam somehow, and we have not had any trouble with cracks in the walls etc. since that time.

Just thought I would add this bit.

Dave

Reply to
Dave

ISTR an old thread about clay soil in parts of Texas. Folks actually used drip hoses to moisten the clay. It would dry / crack the clay and possibly cause foundation damage.

Reply to
Oren

Yup. That's where I live... Soaker hoses surround the house and run for three or four hours every couple or three days, so that the soil doesn't get too dry.

Reply to
Dave

I dunno. With amount of rain you just received, I would turn off the soaker hoses for a few days and let the water drain.

Seems like a conflict of interest. You need water too prevent dry clay and foundation problems, but a few days of rain would possibly cause the slab to crack?

/DIY chime off

Reply to
Oren

Send a copy to the Red Green show. They have some good home owners tips sometimes.

Reply to
LSMFT

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