What would you recommend?

[hondarider550]

Of course as everybody does I would like to someday build a living room addition to my house. What I am wondering is I am debating whether or not to add a basement under the new addition or should I just put down a foundation and go from there... The main reason I ask is our house sits on some low property with a creek running by about 500 yards away. I have water down in that basement almost anytime the water table is up which in some years can be for quite some time...

Would you put a basement under and is there a way to design some type of draining system to keep the water out of the present basement? Let's hear your comments... Thanks,

[hunt fish repeat]

The cost difference beween the two is actually fairly small. A full basement under the addition at the same floor height as the existing house with a drain tile system on both the inside and outside of the foundation with a sump basket draining to the exterior would also reduce the water pressure of the existing basement making it drier.

[hondarider550]

The present basement only has a small hole for the sump pump. Is there any thing that can be done to improve the present basement? Any suggestions are welcome...

[slurpie]

If you got the space to throw the dirt and $$, The best way would be to put a drain tile around the basement. If you got the slope away from the house you can lay the tile flat around the house at an elevation lower than the level of the floor, and it could all free flow away. Putting a tile around would be the highest percentage option that the water would not return. But the height of the tile would need to be lower than the height of the floor very important. If you dont have slope from your house you could drain into a sump basin and have a pump in there that would pump it out.

[echo2010]

If you have the money, Id go ahead and tile it. If it is a cost issue, you could just do a crawl space. If you can dry it up down there you will have much more use of your basement

However, if you are going to do an addition, might wanna add a master bed and bath while your at it

[Surface Tension]

First thing, where is the water coming from? Does it start leaking with every heavy rain?

Could be as simple as bringing up the grade sloping away from the house. If you have gutters and no downspouts to take the water away from the house thats a sure way to have a wet basement.

Those two right there probably account for more wet basements the anything else.

In those wet conditions how often is the sump pump turning on?

Also are saying the sump pump isn't keeping the basement wall dry?

If this isn't surface water making its way into the basement that can't be fixed with the above suggestions then I wouldn't be too thrilled about causing another water problem even if it can taken care of with a sump pump. If it comes down to adding drain tile look up beaver systems.

My preference would be.

Full basement

Half basement

Slab

Crawlspace

[slurpie]

good call surface tension dont over look the little stuff.

[WaveWacker]

I'm thinking of the same thing. I have the tile/water thing figured out. I'm actually thinking of coming out the back side of my existing rambler style house and drop down the floor of the new addition so that it will match up about 1/2 ways down my existing basement wall (I have slope away in the back). I'm then thinking of just making a crawl space under the addition. Great place to store totes of whatever junk needs to be stored in my mind.