One of the most basic ways you can prepare your home for the rainy season is by installing a quality sump pump in your basement. Sump pumps remove groundwater from in and around your house and are ideal for areas like the Midwest that can experience high amounts of rain in a short period of time. Sump pumps are also great for homes located in low-lying areas that have greater potential for water accumulation.

A quality sump pump can save you thousands of dollars in flood damage and provide everyday protection from accumulated groundwater and excess moisture. And because flooding is the most common natural disaster in the United State, it’s better to be safe than sorry.

Should your home already have a sump pump, now is a great time to check its condition. Make sure that it is working properly now so that when the rain comes you won’t find out the hard way that was in need of repair. And because sump pumps are hard-working machines, we recommend replacing them every five years. Be sure to check the date your sump pump was installed and consider upgrading your equipment if necessary.

Take our advice and don’t put this on the backburner. Before the storms of spring leave you standing in a basement full of water, protect your home with a quality sump pump from your friends at Gordon Energy & Drainage—the top sump pump installation company in Kansas City!

Often, home owners will have uneven surfaces in their yard or property. After a large rainfall, the lower-lying areas of the lawn can hold standing water for many days. In order to alleviate the problem, a “sponge” must be created in order to absorb the water and allow the area to dry.

This sponge is what we call a French drain. Named after lawyer and former Assistant U.S. Treasury Secretary Henry F. French (1813-1885), who made them popular in his book Farm Drainage, these drains are actually trenches filled with perforated drain tile and gravel that redirect surface and groundwater away from an area. The idea is to transfer the water to a different place in your yard that has a proper slope, thus creating even distribution, and they do wonders in alleviating the possibility of water damage to your home or property.

This spring, as the rains come and the waters rise, be on the lookout for areas of standing water around your home or business. With the number of solutions today, including the marvelous French drains, there’s no reason to risk property damage. Call Gordon Energy & Drainage today and let us come take a look. Whether we install a French drain or employ another solution, we guarantee to give you the results you need with the service you can trust!

If you have a foundation, or a basement, chances are you will need to make some repairs to it at some point in the life of your home.

 There are several  things that can go wrong with your basement.  The most common reason foundation walls crack, bow, or settle is due to the earth around them, not a poorly constructed foundation.  The dynamics of the earth/soil around a home can change due to various weather conditions and time.  These changes put a lot of pressure on the concrete and can cause cracks, bowed walls, settling, etc…. Moisture or lack of moisture is the # 1 reason soil conditions change.

 When a basement is first constructed, it is typically sitting on soil and is backfilled with the same soils that were extracted from the excavation.  At that time, there will be a particular moisture content in the soil based on the weather conditions at that time.  Over time, the moisture content in the soils can change from dryer to wetter. 

 Additionally, the soils used to backfill around the foundation can take years to settle to a fully compacted state.  In some cases, the soil can settle enough around a foundation to create a negative slope towards the home.

 The bottom line:  Do everything you can to maintain the soil around your home so the dynamics of the soil do not change and cause stress to your concrete foundation.

 Most people blame their faulty foundation on the type of concrete used, lack of re-bars, and just poor craftsmanship on the part of the foundation contractor.   Some of this may be true, or partly true, but the soil your home sits on causes the most damage. 

 When a foundation is built, it typically does not have any cracks at that point.  It is generally stable, has not settled, and looks pretty good. 

 When the condition of the foundation changes, it is generally due to the earth that the foundation is sitting on.  The earth, or dirt, will experience many weather related changes.  Rain, snow, hot, cold, and then dry.  All of these conditions cause the dirt to chemically change, or expand and contract.  This can put a lot of pressure on your foundation walls and basement floor when the earth moves.  In a perfect situation, you want to keep the soils around your home at a constant moisture content.    When it rains a lot and over extending periods of time, you don’t want too much water saturating the soils around your home.  Good grading around the home is one of many ways to help this.  When we are lacking rain or melting snow, you don’t get enough water in the soils around your home.  It is a good idea to water your foundation during excessive dry periods.  Keep the soils at a constant moisture content to reduce the problems that they can cause your foundation.  

 Clay-like soils are a big factor.  The more clay in your soil, the more likely your soil will expand and contract based on different moisture contents.  Wet clay-like soil will expand.  Expanding soils can push against your foundation walls and floor.  Dry clay-like soil will contract.  Contracting soils can cause your home to settle, or go down.  They can also create gaps in the soil next to your home.  These gaps can let water run directly down against the foundation the next time the rain comes back. 

 The best way to avoid foundation problems are to maintain the soils around your home.  Here are some things that you can consider:

 1.  Make sure there is good grade or slope so that rain/snow can effectively drain away from the basement walls.

 2.  Bury your gutter downspouts and/or  sump pump discharge so that this water can effectively drain away from the basement walls.

 3.  If it becomes dry, water the soils around the basement walls to keep them at a consistent moisture content.  Don’t let the soils dry out.  A soaker hose works best to get the moisture down to where foundation sits on the footings. 

 4.  If building a new home, have a soils test done.  This will tell you how much potential there is for your to experience expansive soils.

 5.  If building a new home, don’t backfill with the expansive soils.

 Do not build on clay like soil.   You can do a soils test to see what the soil conditions are.  If the soils pose a potential problem, you can inject a chemical into the ground to break down the clay.  Another option is to install piers under the footings which can support the home in lieu of the clay soil.

 Another way to help is to backfill with gravel.  These options cost more up front, but they can cost you a lot more later in foundation repair bills.

Don’t confuse a SUMP PUMP with a SUMP PIT. A sump pit is used to collect the rain water that can form around your home or structure. A sump pump is used to discharge that water away.

How does water enter a sump pit so the pump has a chance to work? Water will take the path of least resistance. The most common way is when the ground water table beneath your home rises and eventually pushes “upwards” beneath the home. (see drawing)

As rains continue, the ground becomes so saturated that it forms a water table.  The ground becomes so saturated, that this water table rises upward and possibly towards the bottom of your basement floor slab.  If the water table rises to the same level as your basement floor, you can experience a wet basement.  This is unless you have a sump pit to collect this water and a sump pump to get it far away from your house.

 A home with an average size basement (about 1,400 s.f.) will need 1 sump pump that has the capacity to pump 2,000 gallons of water per hour.  This is an average that works on most homes, but there are always factors that can change this.    If your home is in an extremely wet area, low lying area, near a water source, etc… you may need an additional sump pump or a larger one. 

 Your sump pit basin should hold at least 30 gallons of water, and be at least 24″ deep.  If your sump pit is too small, or less than 30 gallons, it may cause your sump pump to cycle more often in order to keep up with the water that comes in.   This increased cycling can reduce your sump pumps life span.  A sump pit that is not deep enough will allow the water table to get close to the same level as your basement floor before the sump pump can operate. 

 The  best way to keep water away from your floor slab, and even needing the sump pump to work is proper drainage around the home.  A good slope of 1″ – 2″ per 5′ is a good minimum to keep any moisture from sinking down around your foundation.  The moisture that comes down on your roof should be directed into your gutters and taken at least 10′ away from the home. 

 A sump pump should last at least 5 years. They are like a coffee pot or hair dryer.  You never know when it will burn up.  Some people opt to install a 2nd sump pump, directly on top of the primary pump just in case the 1st one decides to call it quits.  This is a good insurance policy, especially if you live in a home that needs the sump pump to work in order to maintain a dry basement.  You may not have time to replace it before your basement floods!   Also, the cost to install a sump pump on an emergency basis can be way more costly. 

 The sump pump should discharge the water so it gets at least 10′ away from the house.  You don’t want your sump pump to pump the same water over and over again.  It is a common practice to bury the sump pump discharge line under the ground to a nice place in the yard that is far away from the house and has good slope. 

 The sump pit should be cleaned out at least once per year as debris, silt, etc… can infiltrate it and potentially cause the pump to clog.  Your sump pit and sump pump should be maintained just like  your heating and cooling system.   Annual inspections should be made by someone who knows what they are looking for to help ensure that your sump pump will be ready when it is needed.

 It is technically better to install the drain tile off, or next to the footing.  But, it is also better to use a 1,000 pound chain when installing a swing.  But, will you ever need a 1,000 pound chain?  Would a 700 pound chain do the job?  In most cases, yes.  But, a 1,000 pound chain is still better, right?  That is the basic logic behind installing drain tile off, or next to the footing vs. installing it on the footing.

 It takes more labor to install the drain tile off the footing.  The reason is because the ground next to the footing needs to be prepped.  Trenching with a shovel may be necessary to ensure that the top of the tile is not above the footer.  Concrete overspill from the foundation may need to be removed.  Additionally, you should not lay the tile directly on the dirt, so a 2” minimum bed of gravel or filter fabric should be installed first.  

 Installing drain tile on the footing is much easier and requires less labor.  You simply sweep the footing and it is ready for drain tile installation. 

 You can expect to pay about $ .75 – $ 1.00 per lineal foot more to install a drain tile next to the footing vs. on the footing.  You will also have a little more gravel to pay for.  This equates to about $ 200 more for an average sized home.

 Is it worth the extra $ 200?  Having an understanding of how water enters a basement is the key to understanding if it is better to install it off the footing.   The drain tile system is designed to keep the water table from pushing up on the bottom of the basement slab.  If you can imagine the water table doing this, you can get a clear picture of how it works.   During rainfall events, the ground beneath the home becomes so saturated that the water table rises like a lake upwards towards the floor slab.  The water will take the path of least resistance.  A drain tile system should be this path of least resistance since it is installed at a level that is lower than the floor.  But, is lower better?

 If your drain tile system is installed next to the footing, it is lower than a drain tile that is installed on the footing.  So, it will be able to pick up the rising water table sooner.  It manages the water approximately 4” – 8” sooner than a drain tile that is installed on the footing.  (this can vary depending on how much trenching is done)  

 But, drain tile installed on the footing is still installed at a level that is lower than your basement floor so it still works.  Drain tile installed on the footing will allow a water table to rise closer to your basement floor.  But, as long as it keeps it from penetrating the floor, does it matter?  Well, in some rare cases, a water table can rise so fast that it overwhelms a standard drain tile system.  In those cases, it could be beneficial to have it lower.

 The problem with some basements is that when you finish them off you still feel like you are in a dark and dank basement.  Natural light makes a living space feel warm.  Many full in ground basements don’t have a lot of natural light.  Windows seem to make a basement feel like any other part of the house.

 One way to bring natural light into a basement is by adding a window or 2.  This can be done by digging up the dirt on the outside of the basement and holding the dirt back with an egress window well.  Once the dirt is held back away from the house, the window can be added by cutting a hole in a foundation wall.  The most common size is a 4′ wide by 4′ tall hole, but the size is only limited by your imagination.   It is entirely possible to add a series of windows to an entire side of a home.

 Here are some common types of wells that can hold the dirt back:

These wells are designed to be used when adding a typical 4′ x 4′ window.  If you want to add a series of windows, you may have to opt to build a landscaped retaining wall to hold back the dirt. 

 Another benefit, besides letting in natural light, is that these windows can save your life in case of a fire.  Many homes built prior to 2003 with a full in ground basement don’t have a window big enough to allow a person to escape in case of a fire.  Most codes today require that all basements with living space to have a window that meets the egress codes. 

 Gordon Energy & Drainage, located in the Kansas City area, has been installing egress window wells since 2003.  They have been in business since 1972, but decided to add them to their product lines when the codes changed in new home construction.  They have installed over 5,000 egress window wells on new & existing homes since 2003.

 You can also do it yourself.  It is a hard, dirty job but if you got 2-3 days and a good back, you can get the job done.  Here is a summary of things you may have to do.

1.  Dig out the dirt for the well
2.  Cut the foundation wall
3.  Install a window that meets egress codes (usually 5.7 square feet + of open space)
4.  Install an egress well, or other means of holding back the dirt.  (3′ away from home)
5.  Make sure the egress well can drain.
6.  Put gravel around the bottom.
7.  Install a ladder if the well is more than 44″ high.
8.  Backfill the dirt back around the well, tamp it in.
9.  Haul away the excess dirt as you will have plenty!
10.  Paint the trim around the window, clean up, etc…..

Gordon Energy & Drainage charges between $ 3,500 and $ 7,000 for a complete egress window well system installation.  The prices can vary based on the height of the well needed, the type of well chosen, and various job site conditions.  Most of their installations are in Overland Park, Leawood, Olathe, Liberty, Lee’s Summit, Blue Springs, Lenexa, and Kansas City.

What will you get for your investment?  The added light let in by the new, deep window can eliminate the dark and dank atmosphere so common to earlier basement finishes.  The sensory difference can be remarkable.  Light can be a crucial part of the design.

A primary benefit of a deep window is EGRESS!!!  An easily accessible opening which you can escape or a firefighter can enter in the event of a basement fire.  Basement fires are common, so this is really more than a code issue. 

If you are considering a basement renovation as a way to expand your living space, you should be prepared to have to comply with the building codes, especially if you are adding a bedroom.  Contact your city to find out the exact code requirements.

Most houses in the Kansas City area come with some type of egress well or window well.  Many of these egress wells can be very tall and potentially dangerous to children, pets or unsuspecting adults.  They can also be a trap for many forms of wildlife such as mice, rabbits, opossums’, frogs, snakes & even skunks.  Consider protecting your family from injury or legal action by installing a cover or grate on your egress well or window well.  Gordon Energy & Drainage, located in Olathe, KS carries & installs well covers for most metal & fiberglass wells that have been sold in the Kansas City area.  If we don’t have what you need we are able to custom make a cover or grate of nearly any size or style, including covers for concrete wells.  We carry covers for the following egress well manufacturers:  Monarch Manufacturing, Boman Kemp, Rockwell & Bilco.  All of our covers are designed with safety in mind including the ability to escape in case of a fire.  Below are a few of the covers we offer.  Give Gordon Energy & Drainage a call today.  (913) 764-6229.

 ABC’S EXTREME HOME MAKEOVER: HOME EDITION” showed up in Ottawa, Kansas in July of 2011 for the 4th time in the Kansas City area.

 The lucky winner of this home makeover was Staff Sergeant Allen Hill, who was nearly killed by a massive roadside bomb while serving in Iraq.

 The home builder selected to build the structure was Rhonda Prohaska of Canyon Creek Construction.  Rhonda asked all of her subcontractors to donate their time and materials for this great cause.  Also, community volunteers showed up in droves to help chip in where they could.

 Most of the companies and volunteers who donated their time and materials on the home used only the best available products in their field.  No corners were cut on quality from the foundation to the roof. 

 Gordon Energy & Drainage was selected to install the foundation/basement waterproofing, drain tile system, and sump pump on the house.   Maurya Mitchell, president, said, “When Rhonda called us to ask if we would like to be a part of donating for this cause, I was very excited.  We are always looking for legitimate ways to give back to our community.  We want to give them some of our best options for waterproofing their basement.  A good drain tile system with a lot of gravel and a filter fabric can help reduce possible leaks and structural issues for the life of a home.  If most homeowners do it right during construction, they can greatly reduce the need for structural repairs such as piers, foundation wall movement, and heaving.  Allen Hill sacrificed so much for me, my family, and my country.  It is the least we can do.”

 The product used to waterproof this basement is called Impax made by Tremco Barrier Solutions.  It is a spray on rubber membrane that goes on 40 mils thick and can span foundation wall cracks if they should show up over time.  The sump pump that Gordon Energy & Drainage installed was made by Little Giant Pump Company and is capable of pumping 2,400 gallons per hour.   The system comes with a 10 year warranty and is designed to keep the home dry and the foundation repair companies away! 

 Gordon Energy & Drainage was also selected to waterproof the basements of the previous 3 homes that were done in the Kansas City metro.  In 2005, they worked on the Johnson Home.  In 2007, they worked on the Gilyeat and the Jacobo homes.  Kevin Green was the home builder for the previous 3 Extreme Home Makeover jobs.

 For more information on this Extreme Home Makeover, go to:

 http://kgauthierphotography.myshowit.com/emhe/index.html

 http://www.kmbc.com/news/28721133/detail.html#ixzz1VyoLllT0

 As a builder, you may be faced with the question, “is an inside tile worth the extra expense?”  We will attempt to lay out the facts about it so you can make your own conclusion.

 First, an interior, or secondary drain tile is not required by most city codes.  Currently, Miami County, KS is the only jurisdiction that does require it. 

 Having an understanding of how water enters a basement is the key to understanding if an interior drain tile is worth the extra money.   All drain tile (exterior and interior) are designed to keep the water table from pushing up on the bottom of the basement slab.  If you can imagine the water table doing this, you can get a clear picture of how it works.   During rainfall events, the ground beneath the home becomes so saturated that the water table rises like a lake upwards towards the floor slab.  The water will take the path of least resistance. Hopefully, the home that you build has a good working drain tile system so that path of least resistance is not the cracks in the floor!

 An interior drain tile is simply one more place for this rising water table to take as its path of least resistance.  It is a backup or extra help for your exterior drain tile. 

 However, there is 1 more avenue that this water table can take besides the drain tile.  It is the gravel bed that is directly under your basement slab.  A good bed of clean ½” or ¾” gravel (4” thick or greater) will allow a lot more water to pass through it than a drain tile can.   This is because the gravel bed is placed across the entire basement, vs. just next to the footing.   Generally, larger, clean, & rounded gravel will allow the most water to travel through it.   There are many things that can happen to you to cause the gravel to not be able to do the job.  Plumbers who dig in the ground rough pipes can sometimes leave dirt trenches causing dams in the gravel bed.  Footings are sometimes placed in the middle of a basement, causing a dam.  Dirty gravel, crush & run gravel, or pea sized gravel won’t allow for the proper flow of water.  In, these cases, the gravel may not be a good source for the water’s path of least resistance.

 An average price for an interior drain tile is about $ 1.20 per lineal foot.  An average size home would utilize about 180’ lineal feet to circle a basement, or cost you about $ 220.

  Sometimes, an interior drain tile may be added on a lot by lot basis.  In summary, installing inside drain tile is definitely better than not, but you have to decide if the extra cost is worth the extra piece of mind.