Jack Hammers

[Rednine11]

I need to install a french drain around my basement..but INSIDE THE HOUSE...
now I would guess the concrete is 4 inches deep. or someone tell me what to expect?? How big of a jack hammer do I actually need? I have ran a hammer before, last one I think was 120 pound air. I think on this job I should be able to get by on a large electric unit..saw some in the 2200 watt range
Now once we figure out what I need do I rent it or buy it, use it then sell it to reclaim some of my loss........If I bought one I could put a drain in my other garage too....

[wdfifteen]

Definitely score it with a saw. If you want to save your back rent an electric jackhammer.

[HardDrive]

Electric should do the job for a basement floor.

[Rednine11]

Interesting...How deep was the concrete?
I have to go completely around the inside of my basement. basement is aprox 40 x 25. I am going to run it all back to a sump pump to get rid of the water
I will probably run one end to end 1/4 way up on each side too so that puts me around the 180-200 ft mark.

I called a basement drain "guy" he wanted a minimum of 6 grand and said it would probably be higher, I will do it myself, its not brain surgery.
I put in my own inground pool so this cant be that bad

[Joe Bob]

Saw cutter, rent or bring a guy over....BTDT.

[red-beard]

The concrete floor is not 4" thick. A jackhammer will be much nicer than a sledge. Scoring it will lead to a nicer edge. Use an electric jackhammer. Your real pain will be using buckets to carry out the debris.

[Rednine11]

Originally Posted by red-beard

The concrete floor is not 4" thick. A jackhammer will be much nicer than a sledge. Scoring it will lead to a nicer edge. Use an electric jackhammer. Your real pain will be using buckets to carry out the debris.

Man I hope you're right. I knew right off that I would have to cut it then break it out. I don't mind the work considering the money I will save, That is why i did my own in ground pool. too much labor cost.

The thing is I can take my time, I have till spring once the ground freezes. I am pretty sure the ground don't freeze that deep my basement is probably 8ft deep What does it freeze maybe 16 inches deep?
so shoveling out the dirt should not be real bad.
The real work will be removing all of the material from the basement.

[A930Rocket]

I don't envy you. The concrete saw will make a holy mess with all the dust and fumes. Maybe get a HUGE fan to try and circulate fresh air in and the contaminates out.

I retrofitted a full bath in a basement one time and cutting the concrete sucked. Only had to cut 20 LF or so. Never again...

[E38Driver]

Several ways to cut down on the dust when cutting concrete. If you use a skil saw with a diamond blade wet a sponge and as you cut, put the sponge against the blade. Option 2 is to buy a diamond blade and use your gas powered edger to cut it and use a hudson pump spayer to spray water on the blade.

Cheap but effective ways to get the job done.

Dave

[Arizona_928]

You might be able to get away with a sledge, to break done the cuts. either way it's not easy.

[look 171]

Cut using the method E38 driver describe and go rent a small chipping hammer and get the concrete out. I wouldn't use that big thing that comes with a dolly. too big IMO. Maybe worth buying a small hammer. 5-800 bucks depend on the brand.

[plumb4u2]

I do this for a living, do yourself a favor and rent a gas powered saw with diamond blade have a helper with you to spray water on blade as you are cutting to reduce dust(Im assuming unfinished basement so getting water all over the floor wont matter and will be absorbed through concrete within a couple hrs).

then rent a electric jack hammer, yes you want the big one that comes with dolly, if you mess around with a small hand held jack hammer you will get VERY aggrivated


I assume you know that when you dig your trench that you lay the pipe in the hole and fill trench back in with gravel

[nota]

why do you need a continuing trench all the way around
how much water comes in and from where

a french drain is a fancy name for a hole in the ground with a cover
if the water table is low it is dry but if there is a high water table
or the subsoil is clay it may not drain or even come up from your hole/trench

so why not a sump and pump
or just drill holes every so far if the water will just run out
or little basins every so far apart if large amounts of water comes in quickly
it looks to me like you need to stop the water from getting in if you can first

[azasadny]

I busted my basement floor out with a cold chisel and a 4lb sledge hammer. My basement was poured in 1936 and the floor wasn't 4" thick, more like 2" and it was hard work at 1st, but got easier as I moved along...

[john70t]

I'm assuming the entire french(perimeter) drain goes to a covered drywell, which contains a sump pump to push the water out of the house to another drywell/sewer in the yard?

That's the system I have. The perimeter was even skimcoated with concrete and is almost invisible.
A friend is getting a sump installed after her finished basement flooded three times this year. I'm assuming yard water was draining outside the foundation and bubbling up between the slab and foundation.

You want to make sure:
1). The drainage to the drywell sump are 1/4in per foot(I think that's the standard). Check carefully with a level and compact.
2). Sump pump has a dedicated circuit.
3). Your foundation is not undermined by the trench. That could be bad. Best to dig a small hole and check the depth first.
4). Outside grading takes the yard water away from the foundation. If the neighbor's entire yard drains to the side of your house, it might be easier to make a diverter trench than try to pump out a flood.

[TimT]

do yourself a favor and rent a gas powered saw with diamond blade

Are you nucking futs? run a two cycle saw in someones basement... for the time it would take to cut around the perimeter?

have a helper with you to spray water on blade as you are cutting to reduce dust

What about the exhaust from the saw?

Great idea running a two cycle engine in the basement of a home for a half hour or so.....

I would get a diamond blade in a Skil (circular) Saw and a helper with a shop vac.. and score a cut line around the perimeter of the basement floor...

You might be able to use a sledge hammer and break up the concrete you need to remove after that..

In any event you will not need to rent uber heavy duty things to do your project...

[304065]

Why have you concluded you need to run the drain under the slab?

Wouldn't it make more sense to excavate on the outside of the foundation, waterproof the foundation wall and put the drain at the bottom?

What do the folks at the FINE HOMEBUILDING website in the "breaktime" section have to say? I would post this question there and see what answers you get.

[vash]

man, you are going to hear the sounds in your sleep.

insane. why cant the french drain go outside the foundation?

[TimT]

Why have you concluded you need to run the drain under the slab?

Step back and ask yourself this question again....


OK... to install a similar drain on the outside will need to use Back Hoe or a bunch of laborers to excavate and prepare for installation of the drain...

At what cost is this excavation done? how much landscaping is ruined and in need of restoration?

[TimT]

Vasholio? are you not a guy that is working on a project with the Kiewit robots....?

insane. why cant the french drain go outside the foundation?

It can if it is put there first...

Who wants to disturb the exterior of a home, and bear the expense of excavating yards of earth then restoring it. If all you have to do is break a little concrete, install some perforated pipe and gravel...