Submerged tiled floor from demolition-what to do? - Drainage around basement

[Driller]

Hi there this is my first post. I have read and learned a lot through this great site, many thanks!

We are in the process of renovating a turn of the century burstone house in the Paris region. Around 1940 the local council unfortunately decided to build a huge "extension" onto the house down to basement level, to turn the whole thing into a hospital. The seller of the house demolished 6 meters of the adjoining extension before we bought and renovated the house.

I wanted to protect the basement wall with an impermeable morter, butumin and a drainage composite (Delta Drain, Doerken) plus put a drain in.

Unfortunately the demolishon left a lot to be desired. The extension affected the entire north face and enveloped the north west corner and continued half the length of the west face of the house.

However when I dug down I realised that they had only demolished above ground and that the entire tiled floor of the basement and conservatory (sloping ground above means conservatory was at basement level) of the extension are still intact and butt right up to the external basement wall of the house!

Well I removed the tiled floor in the bottom of the trench that I dug at the footing so I could get down below basment floor level to put my drain in. However the rest of the tiled floor remains buried under earth and will obviously prevent water draining through it!

Sorry for the long thread, we're nearly there...

My question is can I leave things as they are with my drain placed just below the level of this tiled floor (which is about 15 or 20 cm below the level of the internal basement floor) or should I put a sort of "levvy" of ciment on the edge of it to stop the water being channelled into the area next to the basement wall?

Many thanks for your help!

[Tony McC]

You don't make it clear how the drain would work, and where it would drain to.

I think you need someone to take a look at this and advise you after they've had a chance to survey the site.

[Driller]

You don't make it clear how the drain would work, and where it would drain to.

I think you need someone to take a look at this and advise you after they've had a chance to survey the site.

Hi Tony and thanks for the reply.

The drain is a half perforated type and will run the length of the foundations and be "fed" by the drainage composite. I'm going to install Aquacell blocks (or Q-Bic as it's now called in Europe) and the drain will run into this.

All suggestions gratefully received-I've been working for ages on this thing on my own, rather not have to call an expert in now. BEsides this site seems much better than any expert I'd find anywhere!

What do you think now I've answered your questions?

Regards
D

[Driller]

69 views and one reply! The lurker to poster ration is really high here! Can anybody make a suggestion? Maybe it isn't important...

regards
Driller

[Stuarty]

Sometimes an on-site consultation is the only thing possible. I wont lie, ive not got a huge amount of experience in drainage but its like anything else, sometimes you just dont know untill you have seen it, only then you can really offer the best methods on what route to follow. Personally id get a few contractors in to assess the situation.

[Suggers]

It is important - don't get the 'ump - we all have knowledge & experience in different fields - some people log-in everyday, while some once a month - have patience and all will be revealed - do you speak French? - I do - I go straight down to my local bar and have a word. Ca va Jean-Paul? J'ai un problem chez moi........(Serre Chevalier)
This sounds like a big project - can only agree that a site visit is imperative - the lurkers (as you call us) would not want to pitch in if we had nothing to offer. It doesn't stop us listening and learning from every post.
The Lurkers were an almost famous punk band in the late '70s.
See you in Paris.

[Driller]

Thanks for the replies guys. Wasn't getting the hump-when I said maybe it's not important I meant maybe the presence of the floor isn't important.

The problem is is that there are far fewer specialists in this country than in the UK. And in addition to which I just don't bloody trust them! Yes I speak French (I have to-I work here) but it's not THAT big a job. Come on there is so much information and talk on here about fin drains, drainage composites, soakaways etc all I've done is put a drain and a composite around the foundation. There is nothing remarkable about that from the perspective of this website surely?

I'm just asking what effect the presence of a horizontal impermeable layer might have in the substrate...

[Suggers]

You actually know the answer to your last question -
water,water, everywhere......
Call the SUD's guys - but remember,
"they never look you straight in the eye."

[Driller]

OK fair enough but the thing is there is no way I'm EVER going to dig up the garden, break up the remaining floor and then lug it all away. What would you do? Put a lip of cement on the edge where I broke the flooring next to the foundations or not bother?

[Suggers]

Any chance of a couple of photies of the detail - trying to visualise it - I'm sure there are some drainage brew cabin boys will have some ideas....

[Driller]

Any chance of a couple of photies of the detail - trying to visualise it - I'm sure there are some drainage brew cabin boys will have some ideas....

Excellent Suggers yes I'll try to get some photies up ASAP

CHeers!

[flowjoe]

Lost yer box brownie ?

[Driller]

Lost yer box brownie ?

Nope we're in the middle of trying to move into the house and the staircases are not even fitted yet! I'll get back soon, but thank you very much for your presence, much appreciated. I'll try to get the Brownie out today!

cheers
Driller