New Construction Flooded Basement

8 years ago

My wife and I are building a new home in a Fischer homes community. Up to this point we have been very happy with the process. However, this past weekend saw our area get over 6 inches of rain. Fearing the worst I stopped by the house on Sunday and my fears were realized as we had 1/2 an inch of muddy and milky water pooling over about 200 sq ft of our unfinished basement.

I took some pictures and called our builder immediately. He insisted it was due to the electric going out and the sump pump not working. I do not believe this to be the case as there was no flooding at all around the sump pump. Further the water was milky, muddy and full of sediment which I would think would be inconsistent with sump pump flooding issues.

our superintendent is trying to gloss this over and says there is no need to investigate any further cause. He also casually mentioned this had occurred previously which also struck a nerve as two flooded basements in 6 months sounds like a recipe for future issues.

we are about 4-6 weeks from closing. Are there any experts who can advise on what we should do?

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (4)

geoffrey_b
8 years ago
The home needs to be graded properly - about 1/4" per foot.

Is the foundation waterproofed on the outside? What kind of soil?
8shrimper
8 years ago
Go with your common sense, don't close. sound like a problem. Surely you can look around and see where its coming in. Can't imagine living with that kind of fear and dread every time it rains.
Related Professionals
Lake Charles General Contractors · Newburyport General Contractors · Webster General Contractors · La Crosse General Contractors · Yuba City General Contractors · Glenwood Springs General Contractors · Williston Interior Designers & Decorators · Gainesville Cabinets & Cabinetry · Hagerstown Cabinets & Cabinetry · Charlotte Cabinets & Cabinetry · McAlester Cabinets & Cabinetry · Fort Wayne Cabinets & Cabinetry · Hudson Cabinets & Cabinetry · Kennewick Cabinets & Cabinetry · Chatham Cabinets & Cabinetry
amanda99999
8 years ago
Look into a full 'french drain' (on the inside perimeter of your basement) and "battery back up sump pump." Both are expensive, and the only way my basement stays dry. (We have a high water table.) The battery back up sump pump is very expensive - nothing like a regular one, and make sure its professionally installed (not just by the contractor building the house).

I'd pay for a consult by a mason (at least where I live the better masons do this also - are experts on how to dry basements and whether or not you even need a french drain). Good luck. The threat of water has been a worry of ours since we became homeowners decades ago. (While we do have the battery back up, we basically stand there staring at it when the power goes out.)
Matthew
8 years ago
Where are you at in the building process? Is final grading done and gutters installed? It is totally possible power did go out and water backed up. Electric came back on and sump removed the standing water. You could have a low spot in your basement floor where the water was left standing. We did have a lot of rain in Ohio. I am around the Dayton area and my basement flooded after both my sumps failed. I had only finished it a year ago and now I am tearing out all the floor. If the water table is high in that area then you may want to invest in good sized sump with backup and backup power.