Rich - Are you still alive?

[joejones]

I haven't seen a word from you in DAYS. I hope you are okay!

Joe

[KnightRid]

He is still alive and well just really busy

[LAHobbyGuy]

I haven't seen a word from you in DAYS. I hope you are okay!

Cleaning up after storm #3 three this year dumping 4.5" of rain in 3 hours, flooding the shop yet again with almost 5" of water...

[joejones]

I haven't seen a word from you in DAYS. I hope you are okay!

Cleaning up after storm #3 three this year dumping 4.5" of rain in 3 hours, flooding the shop yet again with almost 5" of water...

Ah, right! Louisiana has a water table about 3/4" below the floor surface in some areas Did more caskets pop out of the ground again?

UGH! Time for a SUMP PUMP!

Joe

[Laserius]

A "sump pump" requires that there be some place to which you can pump the water...

Wish we could lend a virtual hand...

[Garysfirstlaser]

hope all goes well. Not a pretty sight or position to be in. Hope you didn't have very much destroyed. Water can really be B*&^ch. to clean up.

[LAHobbyGuy]

We actually have a really good pumping station and we're behind a great levy system, so this neighborhood hasn't ever flooded in the 45 years it's been here. And that's necessary, since this land is 4' below sea level. The problem is, when I hired the contractor to do the cement slab for this out-building, I asked for a 8" slab, and they poured a 4". I wasn't here for the pour, and when I got home 4 days later, the crew was already installing the building, so I was stuck with what I had.

All was well for 2 years, until a builder bought the land behind me and built 3 surrounding homes, filling the lots with dirt to 2' above grade. So naturally, all of the run-off rain water from those lots now drain into my lots.

I am researching a contractor to install a French drain system to alleviate the problem, however I can't seem to find someone with experience. French drains have to be installed perfectly in order to work properly.

Thanks for the well-wishes!

[joejones]

We actually have a really good pumping station and we're behind a great levy system, so this neighborhood hasn't ever flooded in the 45 years it's been here. And that's necessary, since this land is 4' below sea level.

If I owned land that was four feet below sea level, my home would be built upon a platform that was at least EIGHT feet in the air. The design would allow me to park beneath the house, unless the floods came.

The problem is, when I hired the contractor to do the cement slab for this out-building, I asked for a 8" slab, and they poured a 4". I wasn't here for the pour, and when I got home 4 days later, the crew was already installing the building, so I was stuck with what I had.

You should have said, "Nope! Tear it out and do it again guys, or FORGET about being paid!"

Many years ago, I had an old home in Vista, CommieFornia. It has a plywood exterior with vertical strips of wood to give it SOME character. When we bought the home, we contracted with SEARS to install white vinyl siding all around. The salesman came to the house and we picked the sample we wanted. He assured us of the wisdom of using SEARS instead of "... some of these fly by night contractors ...

""WRITE IT DOWN ON THE CONTRACT!" I insisted. THe vinyl name, make, model, color, dimensions, EVERYTHING.

So the time came to install the siding. We were out of town but would return in two days, CERTAIN that a company like SEARS would not hire BOZOS to do the job.

We returned and pulled into the driveway. "Hi! How's it look?" the enthusiastic crew asked. I looked at the house ... "Well, it looks great! It is the WRONG SIDING, but it looks great! Now tear it all off of the house and install what you contracted to install! (a MUCH MORE expensive siding.) They refused, and left.

So we contacted SEARS and a rep came out to the house. He read the contract and shook his head... "These guy did your entire home in the WRONG siding?!?" Well, kudos to SEARS. They hired a private contractor, ONE GUY ... who came and removed the new siding that we did not order, and completely wrapped the house in the CORRECT siding. He told us he could not take the other siding back, and we would not be charged for it, so ... a friend who lived in Los Angeles got a truck load of free vinyl siding to do his own home!

When they removed the siding, something that was NEVER supposed to happen, it revealed that these guys must have been on drugs! The entire house had huge drawings on the walls of dragons and angels and other things, with spray paint and Sharpie pens, and lots of writing .... "Agape love is the perfect love ..." and the lyrics to pothead songs, and so forth.

Our original wooden windowsills were at a slight angle for rain runoff, but these guys did not want to deal with it, so they SMASHED all of the exterior sills with claw hammers to get that wood out of the way, and installed HOLLOW VINYL SILLS beneath the windows, where no wood existed. Nothing behind them but AIR. I could literally crush them with one hand! The second contractor just laughed. "I am going to rebuild ALL of your window frames. They are paying me for 'Time and Materials' and told me there is NO LIMIT, so I am going to do this RIGHT!" He really did do a spectacular job!

All was well for 2 years, until a builder bought the land behind me and built 3 surrounding homes, filling the lots with dirt to 2' above grade. So naturally, all of the run-off rain water from those lots now drain into my lots.

SUE THE LIVING CR*P out of him! It is illegal to CREATE a situation like that.

I am researching a contractor to install a French drain system to alleviate the problem, however I can't seem to find someone with experience. French drains have to be installed perfectly in order to work properly.

Thanks for the well-wishes!

Get a lawyer. FORCE the contractor who raised the other property to pay for the drainage issues.

Joe

[Es171678]

Hey Rick the caskets that popped out of the ground were not in the yard? You should have weighted the bodies down more if so! I usually use the alligator disposal system for that reason.

Good luck if you need anything let us know.

Jim Shackelford

[LAHobbyGuy]

If I owned land that was four feet below sea level, my home would be built upon a platform that was at least EIGHT feet in the air. The design would allow me to park beneath the house, unless the floods came.

There are tons of houses on the other side of the levy that are either built that way (on pilings) or on 30' mounds. We are surrounded with a 30' tall, 75' wide Earth levy that is maintained all year round. A storm surge would have to be 100' high to get past the swamps and over the levy. There's also a 1' thick steel door that closes automatically during storms across the only highway leading south of the levy system, into the swamps.

You should have said, "Nope! Tear it out and do it again guys, or FORGET about being paid!"

Two separate companies. I was out of town when this happened. The concrete company was paid, but I eventually got a refund. I took them to small claims court and they were a no-show, so the judge ordered a refund of the payment. When I got home, (4 days after the concrete was done) the framing and wall panels on the building were already done, and honestly, I didn't notice the concrete until about two weeks later when I started on the walkways; that's when I noticed there was no step up into the building.

All was well for 2 years, until a builder bought the land behind me and built 3 surrounding homes, filling the lots with dirt to 2' above grade. So naturally, all of the run-off rain water from those lots now drain into my lots.

Yours was a builder's error, mine was a change in zoning laws. 45 years ago, when this house was built, the property had to be 2' above flood grade to qualify for X zoning, which was required to build a residential subdivision in this Parish. In 2008, three years after, and because of Hurricane Katrina, they changed it to 4' above flood. They did install an underground culvert 5' off my property line (to code) that works most of the time, but when we get the tropical storm type rains, the little 3' pipe can't keep up and after hours of torrential rains, which happen a lot from winter to spring here, the culvert backs up from the street storm drains and stops working.