I am new and need to add a drain to the foundation outside my basement door

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newjack

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By my back basement door I get floods, infrequently. It depends on how much rain and where the wind is blowing. There used to be a drain there (just into the dirt, no where to go) but it got covered by cement. I assume that a tenant thought that covering it with cement would stop the leak.

This area is covered by cement all the way to the road, this is in the NYC area so there isn't much grass and adding a french drain or something that tracks out far would be extremely difficult because I have to break up concrete and the driveway. I am looking for the most simple and easiest solution. I posted a picture of the affected area. It is about a 3ftx3ft area space.

I am up to the task for breaking the cement and adding a new drain with PVC and even a dry well, I don't think it will be that hard. But is there anything else I could do, the space is extremely small and very very close to my house.

Would PVC going 4-ft deep into the dirt with no well do the job? or would it just back up? This area has an extension and serves as a shed so no free fall rain gets in there. The water gets up through from how wet the foundation gets and raises up on occasion.

Here is the picture of the 2 inches of water, can someone give me some tips and some direction.

Pic: http://imgur.com/IfQT25W

It looks like its inside, but the backdoor to the outside is in an enclosed space. Water still gets through because of how saturated the foundation can get from the outside. Need that drain, but how to do it and with what.
 
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newjack

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If the water is coming up from the ground, the ground will also be too wet to take water like with a French drain. Have you considered a sump pump?


I think that will be the only option. How hard is it to install a small sump pump about 4 ft deep?

My only problem is the location,,, I dont think the location of the sump pump is good because this is outside the basement. This is the entrance to the basement apartment.. If you look at the picture I am taking the picture from the inside. and those are the steps leading to the inside of the apartment.

Can you still put a sump pump on the outside steps (last step exterior between the door frame and foundation) and a small sump pump, as long as there is an outlet near by and I fabricate some sort of piping that leads to the outside?
 
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Reach4

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It would be best to dig a sump with a sump pump at the bottom. That allows the pump to pump in batches whenever the water rises enough.

A pump made to pull water from maybe 3/8 inch above a surface is normally called utility pump. Those are not normally under automatic control.

With a sump pump you will have to worry about where the water goes in freezing weather.
 

newjack

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It would be best to dig a sump with a sump pump at the bottom. That allows the pump to pump in batches whenever the water rises enough.

A pump made to pull water from maybe 3/8 inch above a surface is normally called utility pump. Those are not normally under automatic control.

With a sump pump you will have to worry about where the water goes in freezing weather.


I dont think I have any piping that reaches outside, this would be a major project, with a tenant living there. Wouldn't mind so much if it was vacant and could tear up the dirt and tile without someone living there.

Someone had mentioned to me that maybe I should use a 15 gallon drum since the only amount of flooding I see is about 2 inches at a time.

With that said the 15 gallon drum should just be filled with rock the bottom cut out and the drain connected at the top. So when it fills it will slowly drain back out into the dirt. I never get 15 gallons at a time so I think its safe to say I think this would work out.

Anyone think this may be an issue? Only thing I can think of is, the foundation will be already saturated, if that is the case and the water is not run off water. If I dig below the freeze line it should be ok?
 
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