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-   -   Enlarging a basement stairwell drain to earth (https://www.askmehelpdesk.com/showthread.php?t=137659)

  • Oct 6, 2007, 08:24 AM
    newjerseyjohn
    Enlarging a basement stairwell drain to earth
    I'm addressing damp basement issues. One casuse is the basement stairwell, which fills up during thurnderstorms and flows under the basement door. The stairwell has a drain that goes to earth. (Inside the basement, the center of the basement floor also has a drain that goes to earth. Our home was built in the 1920's.) I don't want to put a sump pump in the stairwell as this would take up space in the bottom of the stairwell that I don't want to give up; it would also detract from appearances, and the water would have to be pumped up grade for quite a distance. The existing drain works but just gets overwhelmed during thundershowers. I periodically clean out the sediment from the drain by hand, but this does not resolve the problem. I can put my arm in the drain up to my elbow (it is NOT a pipe), and I feel bricks in the hole that are at an angle and other rock and uneven concrete with crevices. I am planning on enlarging the drain myself with a jackhammer and installing a grate (PVC or cast iron) from the local lumber and brick yard. My question is this: Do you have any advice on my enlarging the drain? Any problems I might expect? Thanks. -John
  • Oct 6, 2007, 09:57 AM
    speedball1
    Consider adding a dry well. C heck out how at; http://www.webdesignpros.net/consult...enchdrains.pdf
    Good luck, Tom

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