Slab foundation and two bellies

[Annc]

Hi everyone,
We have a home that was remodeled in 2008, they jacked up the one story, moved it back on the lot and added a complete basementwith two bedrooms, bath and garage. There is also a small cottage out back that is connected to the main house sewer. Since being here about six years we've had about four times the sewer has completely backed up. Once the line from the cottage to the house connection was found to be crushed due to faulty installation. Fixed that. The sewer from the house to the main city line had roots, replaced all that.

Since then we've had one time where the main house had to be unclogged and several times in the last months where the showers were draining slowly.

On Friday, the main house completely clogged with sewage backed into the basement shower. About the same time the cottage reported they had sewage in their tub as well (it is above the house at the start of the line). Took the plumbers a long time to unclog but when they did the sewer from the cottage swooshed back into the main house basement toilet and flooded about four inches deep of **** all over the floor. (Toxic clean up crew, removing dry wall...etc...horrifying) They figured that there must have been actually two blockages, when the cottage one became unblocked it released all the sewage which hit the second clog and backwashed into our basement.

So...the camera showed two bellies. Plus he said the clean out was dirty and clogged. He immediately started talking about jackhammering up our foundation to repair...no estimate because no idea how much it would cost....(Are we talking $50,000? $15,000?? Need some sort of idea!) Also said maybe to run a separate line for the cottage at the same time...

So, the questions: I've searched this forum and the internet enough to know that he is probably right, they have to be repaired and the foundation has to be jackhammered up. Holy cow, the entire downstairs will be trashed...

1. Those who have faced this issue, has your insurance company paid for the restoration of the house? Can you give any ideas of what the final costs were?

2. If the sewer line was so poorly installed that after 9 years we have two problems (plus the previously crushed pipe issue) do we have the entire thing done at once?

3. Does jackhammering trenches all over the foundation destabilize the house leading to more issues in the future? (My biggest concern...well, the whole thing is overwhelming)

4. Does a second opinion seem warranted? Call another company out and get another camera down there to double check (we are on the Olympic Peninsula in WA so not that easy to do).

 

[Cacher_Chick]

Much depends on the layout of the existing structure and where the lines need to be installed. On a re-pipe is may be much easier and cheaper to run a new line on the outside length of the foundation, and make the indoor drains run out to that using the most direct path.

 

[Sponsor]

 

[Reach4]

Since being here about six years we've had about four times the sewer has completely backed up. Once the line from the cottage to the house connection was found to be crushed due to faulty installation. Fixed that. The sewer from the house to the main city line had roots, replaced all that.

Is it possible there was an actual sewer backup where other people's sewage came in? If so, consider getting overhead sewers installed. It is not cheap. It eliminates the fear of sewer backup due to storm water getting into the sewer system. If there are sewer problems in an area, sometimes there are programs to pay part of the money.

Even if the city sewers are not delivering sewage to you, you could use an aspect of the overhead sewer: Basement sewage goes to a sealed vented pit, and the contents get pumped up to the sewer line near the basement ceiling. Locate the new pit at one of the bellies maybe.