Bricks, Masonry, Asphalt and Concrete - Fieldstone Basement, dirt floor
Doityourself.com community forum was created to provide answers to all questions related to home improvement and home repair. Doityourself community can help you find information about how-to topics on small fixes to large remodeling projects. With comprehensive how-to content and expertly moderated community forums DoItYourself.com makes it easy to tackle even the most complex home improvement projects.View Full Version : Fieldstone Basement, dirt floor
oddsare
10-17-05, 04:27 PM
Hey Folks,
Looking into buying a 205 year old home in rural Maine. I know sounds crazy, right. It has a field stone foundation, so you guessed it... its moist. However, we have had more rain in the last 2 weeks than I have ever seen, and the basement itself is fairly dry thanks to a great sump pump. Just wondering if anyone can shed some light as to whether it would be smart to level the floor, with proper drainage and pour a 4" concrete pad. We would desperately need some storage space, since the house lacks any... Not to mention I worry about the moisture softening the 200+ year old beams that are exposed in the basement. Has anyone on here ever done this, or is there any material online or in a book that can walk you through it, or explain the best route to go with a dirt floor basement. Any help would be much appreciated.
Looking into buying a 205 year old home in rural Maine. I know sounds crazy, right. It has a field stone foundation, so you guessed it... its moist. However, we have had more rain in the last 2 weeks than I have ever seen, and the basement itself is fairly dry thanks to a great sump pump. Just wondering if anyone can shed some light as to whether it would be smart to level the floor, with proper drainage and pour a 4" concrete pad. We would desperately need some storage space, since the house lacks any... Not to mention I worry about the moisture softening the 200+ year old beams that are exposed in the basement. Has anyone on here ever done this, or is there any material online or in a book that can walk you through it, or explain the best route to go with a dirt floor basement. Any help would be much appreciated.
rdn2113
10-18-05, 12:17 AM
keep in mind that field stone is porous, so installing a cement slab will require a means to channel water to the sump.
Frankly, it would be better to jack up the house and build a foundational basement. This would cost more, but would give you more clean and dry space than a slab with water channels and field stone walls.
I wouldn't worry too much about the beams - they've been there for two centuries, so a few more months or even years probably won't hurt them too much. :)
Living in rural Maine certainly does not sound crazy - even in a two hundred year old house. Actually, it sounds great. I live in rural Washington state, so the rural life appeals to me. I've never been to Maine, but I'd sure like to visit some time. It looks like a beautiful place.
best wishes.
Rick
Frankly, it would be better to jack up the house and build a foundational basement. This would cost more, but would give you more clean and dry space than a slab with water channels and field stone walls.
I wouldn't worry too much about the beams - they've been there for two centuries, so a few more months or even years probably won't hurt them too much. :)
Living in rural Maine certainly does not sound crazy - even in a two hundred year old house. Actually, it sounds great. I live in rural Washington state, so the rural life appeals to me. I've never been to Maine, but I'd sure like to visit some time. It looks like a beautiful place.
best wishes.
Rick
marksr
10-18-05, 07:42 AM
My grandfather bought an old farm house back during the depression. I don't know when it was built but it did have a stone foundation. I don't know if he had moisture issues. What he did [late 50's maybe early 60's] was pour a concrete floor [extra thick at perimeter] and then block up a new foundation on the basement side of the stone.
rdn2113
10-18-05, 11:28 PM
marksr and his grandfather have a very good idea. This approach would save a lot of digging (and money). :)
Might be a good idea to check where the water table is regardless of what you decide to do.
Might be a good idea to check where the water table is regardless of what you decide to do.
oddsare
10-19-05, 08:51 AM
Thanks for the info guys.
Concretemasonry
10-19-05, 10:22 AM
If your 205 year old foundation is performing well and has no settlement, I would NOT consider replacing it. It would be a costly experiment that could create many new problems. A new wall inside the current fiedstone wall would support the house walls at a different point and cause cracks and shifting of the house.
You did not say whether the water was coming through the fieldstone walls or from the floor area. Most of the moisture can be attributed to the floor and pouring a slab could make the area usable for storage.
If you have granular soil, I would not worry about the walls too much. I had a old home with a crack from top to bottom wide enough to see light through. I had water on the floor but none ever came through the crack. Fieldstone is not necessarily porous, but the mortar could be leaking, necessitating tuckpointing in the future.
I would level the floor area and place a layer of sand and/or rock down. Cover with 10 mil poly and pour a 4" slab.
If you wish to really have a dry basement, before preparing the floor for concrete, I would install drain tile below the current floor level around the interior next to the wall. This will extend the life of the foundation another 205 years and reduce lateral loads on the wall.
Check to see if you have concrete under your wall or how deep the wall goes. I would be surprised if you have a concrete footing. This can dictate the level and location of the drain tile. The drain tile may be put below the level of the wall or footing, but it sould not be placed lower than a 45 degree line extended inward and downward from the inside toe of the wall/footing.
Fill the trench with rock and lead the tile to a sump with a pump. Pump outside or to a drain as you do now.
When you pour the slab, you can have it sloped toward the sump. I have even seen slabs poured with surface drainage path (2x4 with sloped sides) around the perimeter leading to a sump.
Dick
You did not say whether the water was coming through the fieldstone walls or from the floor area. Most of the moisture can be attributed to the floor and pouring a slab could make the area usable for storage.
If you have granular soil, I would not worry about the walls too much. I had a old home with a crack from top to bottom wide enough to see light through. I had water on the floor but none ever came through the crack. Fieldstone is not necessarily porous, but the mortar could be leaking, necessitating tuckpointing in the future.
I would level the floor area and place a layer of sand and/or rock down. Cover with 10 mil poly and pour a 4" slab.
If you wish to really have a dry basement, before preparing the floor for concrete, I would install drain tile below the current floor level around the interior next to the wall. This will extend the life of the foundation another 205 years and reduce lateral loads on the wall.
Check to see if you have concrete under your wall or how deep the wall goes. I would be surprised if you have a concrete footing. This can dictate the level and location of the drain tile. The drain tile may be put below the level of the wall or footing, but it sould not be placed lower than a 45 degree line extended inward and downward from the inside toe of the wall/footing.
Fill the trench with rock and lead the tile to a sump with a pump. Pump outside or to a drain as you do now.
When you pour the slab, you can have it sloped toward the sump. I have even seen slabs poured with surface drainage path (2x4 with sloped sides) around the perimeter leading to a sump.
Dick