# MAJOR Flooding



## soopa1 (Aug 20, 2009)

I posted the wrong picture. That picture was from 2 summers ago. Since then I have added pine straw and river rock( which gets washed away) This is a current picture


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## jomama45 (Nov 13, 2008)

IMO, that is completely unacceptable on so many different levels.:furious:

I would try dealing with the builder again (if I was the builder & saw those pictures, I wouldn't be able to sleep at night) or go straight to your municipality to see if they can help resolve this.

Good Luck with this, I don't think ANYONE should have to put up with this for a few years.


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## Scuba_Dave (Jan 16, 2009)

What did the builder do to fix it?
Can you dig behind the wall & put in a drainage pipe that will lead off to the right (or left) to a lower area?

Can you do the same at the top of the hill by the fence?


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## soopa1 (Aug 20, 2009)

Scuba_Dave said:


> What did the builder do to fix it?
> Can you dig behind the wall & put in a drainage pipe that will lead off to the right (or left) to a lower area?
> 
> Can you do the same at the top of the hill by the fence?


Well to answer both of your questions, right where the rocks meet in he middle ( you know where ALL the water is running off the wall) there is a 12x 12 catch basin with pipe that drains into my cul de sac. Which in itself may be some sort of violation. As you can see by the pciure that doesnt help


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## handy man88 (Jan 23, 2007)

soopa1 said:


> Well to answer both of your questions, right where the rocks meet in he middle ( you know where ALL the water is running off the wall) there is a 12x 12 catch basin with pipe that drains into my cul de sac. Which in itself may be some sort of violation. As you can see by the pciure that doesnt help


With that amount of water, a 12x12 catch basin will not cut it.

That amount of water coming from 3 homes requires a storm water drain that drains directly into the sewer system, not over grass.

How close does that water come to the house, and has it come into the house?


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## soopa1 (Aug 20, 2009)

handy man88 said:


> With that amount of water, a 12x12 catch basin will not cut it.
> 
> That amount of water coming from 3 homes requires a storm water drain that drains directly into the sewer system, not over grass.
> 
> How close does that water come to the house, and has it come into the house?


*sigh* It comes right up to my concrete slab/patio and pools up there. This is how it goes..

1. Picture 1 flows to...
2. My slabio where it pools and then...
3. Flows under my fence (picture 2) then..
4. Flows though my front yard out into the cul de sac (picture 3)

Gotta love that NC red clay!


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## handy man88 (Jan 23, 2007)

Looks to me like it's following its natural swale based on the grade of the turf.

The width of that runoff is wide...much more than a single 12x12 can handle.

The lowest cost option is to regrade and to create a dry creek river bed.

Don't let the water pool around the slab b/c it could wash out the dirt below the slab and jeopardize the slab's integrity.

On the first picture that you posted that shows the fence on the top edge of your backyard, that soil will need to be somehow secured such that there is no mudslide which would cause that fence to collapse. I think you may need a tiered retaining wall.

Are you in the midwest which received a ton of rain and tornadoes recently?

Do you get snow? If so, be aware of snow/ice damning during deep snows followed by melting.


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## soopa1 (Aug 20, 2009)

handy man88 said:


> Looks to me like it's following its natural swale based on the grade of the turf.
> 
> The width of that runoff is wide...much more than a single 12x12 can handle.
> 
> ...


I tried the dry creek bed. Maybe I need bigger rocks, because the water just blows them away. I live in NC.


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## Bondo (Dec 8, 2007)

Ayuh,... Unfortunately,... 
The Only way to fix That is on the Other side of the fence in the 1st picture....

A Dam maybe,...


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## Daniel Holzman (Mar 10, 2009)

This is a DIY site, not a legal advice site. You should consult an attorney if you feel that you may have legal recourse against the builder.

As for the drainage, you should consult a registered professional engineer in your state with drainage expertise. Judging from the volume of water, you are going to need a serious drainage system, not something that can be designed by a DIY group over the internet.


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## handy man88 (Jan 23, 2007)

soopa1 said:


> I tried the dry creek bed. Maybe I need bigger rocks, because the water just blows them away. I live in NC.


Make sure you dig a trench for the swale, lay down lawn fabric, and then put rocks on top of that.


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## handy man88 (Jan 23, 2007)

soopa1 said:


> I tried the dry creek bed. Maybe I need bigger rocks, because the water just blows them away. I live in NC.


You should probably investigate and talk to neighbors up the hill to see how the water is coming off their roofs and whether they are directing water right at you.


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## soopa1 (Aug 20, 2009)

Daniel Holzman said:


> As for the drainage, you should consult a registered professional engineer..


Ironically, hidden between snarky remarks, you gave maybe one of the most helpful tips. Thanks man! :thumbup:


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## soopa1 (Aug 20, 2009)

handy man88 said:


> Make sure you dig a trench for the swale, lay down lawn fabric, and then put rocks on top of that.


Yeah, I did all of that. Maybe I'll mortar them down, and try bigger rocks.


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## soopa1 (Aug 20, 2009)

handy man88 said:


> You should probably investigate and talk to neighbors up the hill to see how the water is coming off their roofs and whether they are directing water right at you.


Thats my next step. They have no grass in in their yard either. If they at least planted grass that would help a little.


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## soopa1 (Aug 20, 2009)

Bondo said:


> Ayuh,... Unfortunately,...
> The Only way to fix That is on the Other side of the fence in the 1st picture....
> 
> A Dam maybe,...


That is the problem. I figure its going to be hard convincing them to do something about it. It isn't flooding their yard.


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## soopa1 (Aug 20, 2009)

Well...thanks everyone. You have been helpful. I got a clearer picture of what I think I need to do. This seems like a cool site, so I may stick around.:thumbsup:


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