basement sump

[monte]

the basement has always been damp but during recent heavy rains it flooded. Had to pump out many inches of water daily for over a week. Believe we need to install sump well and pump. Have looked for instructions on net but dont find any on my level.

Believe I need hole in cement floor approx 18" sq and about 30-40" deep. There is to be a liner or tub in the hole --- from there I am without guidance.

Can someone tell me how to prepare the hole and the liner to best drain the soil around the basement. The house is over 30 yr old and french drains are both expensive and a lot of mess.

Thanks

[Bob NH]

When you have a sump pump, you need to rely on the water getting to the sump before it rises to a pressure higher than the floor at any place you care to protect.

If your basement floor is on gravel, you can get by with a sump pump at a convenient place. If the sub-base is not porous you might not get the water to the drain before it comes up through the cracks at places far from the drain.

The one thing you absolutely can't do is seal the floor to prevent water from entering. The slightest water pressure will come up through cracks, and water with a pressure that makes it rise more than 3" above the floor will usually break the floor.

A round sump is best. You can cut back the earth under the edge of a round hole and line it with concrete bricks without mortar. The circular liner will resist collapse. Put a layer of small stone in the botton so water can get through to the pump.

[monte]

Thanks -- if the hole or well is dug down to 30-40" and lined -- is there a commerical liner for the hole or are the blocks the best liner to prevent collapse on the pump?

I am going to hope the basement floor was poured over a gravel base -- and that the ground water is traveling thru that gravel seeking an opening in the floor -- otherwise I will assume much larger problems.

The problem I had during the heavy rains -- the water was coming up around a 3" pipe that is thru the concrete floor -- I have no idea what, if anything, the pipe is connected to. The lady we bought from, now deceased, didnt tell the truth about a lot of things -- among them the basement problems.

thanks again