Building a Home Porches & Decks Design Dilemma

Cement slab slightly sloped toward house

5 years ago

last modified: 5 years ago

Our nearly completed home has a basement that walks out to a slab that has an overall slant toward the house (about 1 to 4 degrees). They did put in two drains, but water that doesn't come within a foot or so of the drain will just pool against the house. How big of a deal is this, and is it something the builder needs to fix? Can they leave it like that?

Here's a video that shows pooled water in the corner: https://vimeo.com/469531989

Update: added more pictures to show layout of the slab.

Featured Answer

Beth H. :

5 years ago

last modified: 5 years ago

that's a huge deal. if you just paid to have this done, they will have to fix it. you never want sitting water at the base of the structure. ever.

the way is is now, you'll have water seepage into the basement, mold, and rot. nope. have it redone.

I can already see in the picture how it flattens out from the drain to you house. there should still be slope all the way to the wall. get a level and span it from the house to the drain. if the level is flat for the first foot or so, you have a big problem.

I believe the slope is 1/4"for every foot, starting from the house and moving outward. So if your patio is 20', you should have 5" of slope. (however, they put the drains in less than 2' from the house. so the slope is going to differ in order to funnel the water to those drains. don't know why they did them so close.

if they give you grief over it, call in your own inspector to give their opinion.

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Comments (9)

millworkman
5 years ago
Porches are sloped away from the house for a very good reason. To keep water from the house. Standing water will eventually find its way in, period. Not sure why anyone would have thought this was the way to construct this...................
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strategery
5 years ago
Agreed with others, that's a big deal and must be fixed. It's the same for front porches and attached garage slabs.
One Devoted Dame
5 years ago
Water always wins. :-(
cpartist
5 years ago
This isn't just a big deal. It's a HUGE deal. Water always needs to be sloped AWAY from the house, not towards it.
jimandanne_mi
5 years ago
It's hard to believe that EVERY builder wouldn't know about sloping a porch or grade AWAY from the house! I'd start looking carefully at the rest of the house for other mistakes.

Anne
PRO
Joseph Corlett, LLC
5 years ago
Wait until that pooled water freezes.
res2architect
5 years ago
A "porch" is usually a raised structure. This appears to be a slab-on-grade patio at the basement level so its unlikely to be in a cold climate.

I suspect the solution will involve lowering the exterior grade and replacing the slab creating a slight drop at the door and a slope to drains and/or to grade.

It would help to post a photo showing the outer edge of the slab.
Amanda T thanked res2architect
PRO
Patricia Colwell Consulting
5 years ago
This needs fixing NOW