Categories

Soil erosion under back deck

Question Icon
Posted by: from Bathurst
4/5/2020 at 7:52:01 AM

Recently, we noticed the original plumber who did all the plumbing in our new house did not extend our sump pump outtake pipe away from our foundation. It was at most 4 feet away from the foundation. The outtake pipe is under our back deck. Therefore, a few days last week when the snow melted and we had a lot of unthawing, the sump pump kicked in. This created a lot of water from sump outtake pipe to just pool under our deck against our foundation and recycle into our pump. It didn't cause any water to go in the basement, thankfully, and has since dried up. The issue was corrected after a few days last week of pump running when I started questioning why it was running so much as it hardly ever turns on and the pipe has now been extended at least 10 feet away from the foundation.

The issue now though is all that water from the outtake pipe created soil erosion and a fairly large trench right against a part of my foundation that is under the deck. My best guess is probably 8-12 inches of soil lost right where the water was pooling. We are planning on actually removing the deck and doing a garage add on where the erosion currently is. My question is, do I need to contact a contractor and/or immediately try to refill the parts where the erosion happened? Or can we leave it until our garage gets built (hopefully start of summer)? I am just concerned about the impact this erosion could be now having on my foundation but don't know enough about it to make an educated guess. It's not along a large portion of the foundation, maybe 7 feet.

I added a picture for context. You may have to turn your phone 90 degrees as it uploaded at the wrong angle for some reason.

Soil erosion under back deck
Soil erosion under back deck
REPLIES (2)
User Icon
Date/Time4/5/2020 at 8:19:30 PM

Hello!

I think it is a great thing that you decided to reach out for help before potential damage happens!

I would recommend refilling the soil grade to what it used to be if not, higher. As melting season is not past, this type of job is best done asap.

A lot of things are preventable!

Anyways, if you would like the deck demoed or Just the trench filled with soil, feel free to reach us at

Wood Core Construction

User Icon
Date/Time4/5/2020 at 9:32:38 PM

Hi Mark.

Got your question. It s always recommended to keep a positive sloping grade around your house. If possible I would recommend you filling in the hole to create a slope away from the house till you actually build your garage.

In regards to the sump discharge it would be wise to purchase a flexible discharge hose to the sump discharge pipe extending out from the foundation. A Home Depot or Rona. Or Lowe s will sell these. These typically come in 25ft lengths and you can direct it anywhere you want. When the hose is off it s a good idea to place a splash pad under the end of the discharge pipe. This will prevent the water from eroding or digging a hole in the ground.

To prevent foundation issues you never want water coming back to it. As you experienced you will just start recycling the water back into your sump pit making it work twice as hard and reducing its life span.

Hope this helps.

Cheers

Todd

Search the TrustedPros directory and discover the best contractors in your area.

Find your home service pro
Great renovations start with a great contractor.

Since 2004, TrustedPros has been helping homeowners find the right contractor for their home improvements and repairs.

Post Your Project

Within hours you'll be comparing offers from top-rated professionals. It's free to post and you're under no obligation to hire.

 
Trustedpros Inc. does not warrant the accuracy, completeness, safety, legality or usefulness of any Content, or Whether Content is Current and up-to-date, and TrustedPros Inc. Shall have no liability whatsoever with respect to your use or reliance upon any content or for content being removed or otherwise ceasing to be available. Please refer to the terms and conditions of use of this websites for more details.
Categories

Get quotes from top-rated contractors

x