Patio Slab Damage

[Shuba]

Last Spring after coming home from Vacation we found our basement flooded after an unusual week with heavy rain and snow melt. I replaced the sump pump which had stopped working not sure how old it was it came with the house (we bought the house 5 years ago) while removing the sump pump I noticed a fair amount of sand in the sump pit I set the sump pump up on a block. The pit continued to take on sand during heavy rains this summer; however has not "threatened" the pump. I also noticed in the back yard where I have 4 concrete slabs next to the house that make a small patio and one directly next to the house has "fallen" significantly and I'm wondering if this was the result of that rain/snow melt and if the slab may have broken the drain pipe. I would like to know what steps I should take to do this project myself and if my homeowners insurance should cover this. Thanks in advance

 

[nealtw]

Notsure about insurance, but how big is the slab in question and how far down is the bottom of the foundation under the slab?
And welcome to the site.

 

[handypierson]

Your issue sounds like the problem lies with the foundation not being water tight. You should look into waterproofing the foundation and then repairing the patio.

 

[Shuba]

The slab is 3/1/2 inches deep and has "fallen" 6 inches from the other slab and the wall ...looking between the cracks ground is still solid the bottom of the foundation would be further underground...I'm thinking the slab has broken whatever pipe takes the water to the sump pit.....that is what's brining in all the sand not a waterproof issue.

 

[nealtw]

In a perfect world you would have an outside perimeter drain around the foundation at about the level of the basement floor. You may have had that and it failed sometime in the past when some one put the sump inside to solve that problem. Now you have water finding a path to the sump and like a river it is taking the sand with it. You want to make sure the landscaping is sloped away from the house and if the down spouts are going into pipes around the house, devert them out in the yard away from the house. There are people that can raise the slab by pumping foam or concrete under it but you would like to stop the water problem first. Stopping the water may be difficult with the slab sloping toward the house. How deep is the basement floor in relation to the slab outside? That's the question I should have asked earlier.

 

[Shuba]

I improved the spout system and have had the water draining well away from the house after the basement flooded. The slab has fallen 6 inches from the paint line on the basement , but still way above the basement floor. The more I look at the slap and around the back yard it's no doubt the ground has settled around the house over time I think I may need to jack hammer this patio up and remove it and build up some other low areas in our rock gardens that surround the house maybe just the slope of the yard changing has caused the sand to work its way into the sump system.

 

[nealtw]

Sand is usually used to level the basement to ready it for concrete. If that is washing away it could leave the basement slab unprotected. Tapping the floor with a hammer, you will hear hollow spots under the floor.