Project date: January 2025
Location: Northwest Portland
The Challenge
This homeowner had a large historic home on a small lot in the Portland hills. Their unfinished basement posed a risk to the long term health of the foundation as hydrostatic pressure on the hill sides can be exceptionally high. However, the immediate threat came from the pool—specifically, the pool equipment, which was installed in the basement. If the pool equipment were to fail, nearly 4,000 gallons of water could fill the basement.
Our Solution
Our solution was to install a full-perimeter drainage system. This would allow the homeowners to finish their basement and begin the soil drying process to relieve pressure on the old foundation that was already in bad shape.
For the pool equipment, we installed 4-inch NDS SpeeD channel drains surrounding the installed pool equipment. Positioned as close to the pump as possible, the drains were sunken into the floor to minimize the chances of water escaping past the drains.
Before and After Photos
This entire room was removed from the basement.
This door goes no where so we also removed the step.
The Better Dry Basement system starts with an 18” wide trench. The secret to our 0% failure rate.
Concrete and soil removed with a 6” clay footer left. This trench goes around the full perimeter of the basement.
Vapor barrier on the wall with pipes and gravel in the trench.
The NDS Channel drains go around the pool equipment and fall towards the pump and drainage.
A few days later after this concrete is dry the basement is ready to finish.
This basement is now protected from the pool equipment as much as possible and from the outside ground water. It is now ready for another contractor to finish the space!
BONUS: This home had another unique challenge because the original slab was in such bad condition that matching it was impossible. The floor that was originally poured had severe imperfections. None of this matter though and will be hidden from finished flooring materials. All these imperfections are clear in the contract and explained thoroughly from the project advisors!
A few days later the basement is dry and the cold joint from the old floor and our new pour is more clear. The aggregate and perception of imperfections is to be expected. This is 100% unavoidable and in the customer’s contract. The moisture seen will go away in about 6 weeks as the soil dries out and concrete dries out.
Some more extreme imperfections in this original slab. These imperfections look even worse next to our much smoother and more level pour. However, none of it affects performance and all of it will be hidden behind finished materials.
This slab was one of the worst original slabs we have come by. But we still managed to deliver an exceptional product that will outlive us all!
On the left you can see our concrete pour and on the right you can see the cracks and how bad the original slab was. From the middle of the room to the ledge there was multiple inches of fall. It appears that someone poured this entire basement by hand in multiple phases! But all of this will be hidden under finished materials from a finish contractor.
