Home Improvement/Repair Questions

[Master slacker]

Concrete people.  I request your assistance.  So I got my deck posts in the ground this past weekend.  The past 3 weeks have been dry with zero rain.  On Saturday, we dig 3 holes, pour in gravel, mix concrete and pour around posts.  Mind you, these 3 are somewhat under the house (pier and beam).  Two hours later (finished for the day) I pack up my tools, clean up the site, and head inside to shower.  As I'm showering, it begins to rain... as in Noah and his ark may be coming down the street at any moment.  We don't have gutters and the roof runoff lands on one side of each footer.  I covered it as quickly as I could, but the damage is already done.  So now there is a washed out line across each footer were the cement is gone and only the rock shows.  It's about 1/2" deep.  What can be done about this?   :hung-037:

Do I just need to clean it and apply a concrete patch from the big orange box? 

Yesterday we got the final 3 posts in the hole and got them covered and protected appropriately.  Sure enough, two hours later, a downpour ensues.  Not worried about these.

 

[youngmotivatedengineer]

Do you have a picture of the washout? You mention 1/2" deep, is it just a cosmetic issue at this point that you are trying to correct?

 

[Master slacker]

I have no picture.  It probably is just cosmetic, but I'd like to eliminate any spot where water could collect and sit.  They were originally slightly domed so water would shed off.  The footers are overkill at 16"-18" diameter and 12" deep.

 

[Dexman PE PMP]

To be honest, it is entirely cosmetic. If you want, you can apply a layer of grout over the top to "reshape" it a bit if you feel the need, but to be honest you won't see any long term issues compared to other posts.

This is all assuming it's not reshaped into a bowl that will constantly filled with water...

 

[Road Guy]

My grandfather (old school ME) once had me dig out the old footings for a deck (that was at most 3’ off the ground) because they were unsymmetrical (12” X14”) or something - but it bothered him so he had me dig them out and we replaced them so they would be “uniform” - RIP Grandpa... hell of a guy - even though he was a little OCD

 

[cement]

Use the quickcrete vinyl patch in your picture.  That's a good product. 

But 12" deep?  There's no frost in your area?

 

[Master slacker]

Frost?  This is south Louisiana.  We'll get a few nights below freezing each year.  Maybe one or two below 20, but frost is not a concern.  I'm more concerned about the deck catching fire in the summer sun than I am about the footings and frost. 

 

[youngmotivatedengineer]

Frost?  This is south Louisiana.  We'll get a few nights below freezing each year.  Maybe one or two below 20, but frost is not a concern.  I'm more concerned about the deck catching fire in the summer sun than I am about the footings and frost. 

I'd suggest a sprinkler system but the glass may melt from the sun without an actual fire. I remember going to Thibodaux for Spring Break with Habitat for Humanity.  Sun was so strong several people got sunburned on lips and ears the 1st day.

 

[Jbone27 PE]

About to tackle the fun job of adding a cleanout to my main line. For some reason my house was only built with a single cleanout and it is over 150' from the tie-in to the sewer. On the semi frequent occasion it gets clogged we have to call in the pros instead me just renting a $30 snake because they are the only ones with longer than 100' snake line.

Quick estimate puts the line about 4-5' deep where I want to access it. Anyone attempted this job with just a shovel and some elbow grease? How big should I anticipate making the hole? 2'x2'?

 

[MA_PE]

About to tackle the fun job of adding a cleanout to my main line. For some reason my house was only built with a single cleanout and it is over 150' from the tie-in to the sewer. On the semi frequent occasion it gets clogged we have to call in the pros instead me just renting a $30 snake because they are the only ones with longer than 100' snake line.

Quick estimate puts the line about 4-5' deep where I want to access it. Anyone attempted this job with just a shovel and some elbow grease? How big should I anticipate making the hole? 2'x2'?

depending on where you're digging you might want to call DIG-SAFE (or similar organization in TX).  Also depending on the soil you're digging into the soil should be either sloped back to the angle of repose or you need a trench box or some other shoring.  5 ft is below OSHA's depth for no protection.  Typical slopes are ~2:1 so to get to 5 feet you're talking about 10 x 10 at the surface.  I'm just citing typical trench safety. 

You said you've had the pros do this before.  How do they access it?

 

[Audi Driver P.E.]

.

 

[Jbone27 PE]

depending on where you're digging you might want to call DIG-SAFE (or similar organization in TX).  Also depending on the soil you're digging into the soil should be either sloped back to the angle of repose or you need a trench box or some other shoring.  5 ft is below OSHA's depth for no protection.  Typical slopes are ~2:1 so to get to 5 feet you're talking about 10 x 10 at the surface.  I'm just citing typical trench safety. 

You said you've had the pros do this before.  How do they access it?

I had the pros do the cleanout through the existing access point that is over 150' away from sewer tie in. I'm going to be digging to install a new cleanout so that I can use a standard length snake instead of the big industrial one I have to pay the pros to bring. In Texas it is just "Texas One Call" for utility marking and I will definitely call them. As far as the shoring I may not go 100% up to code lol. Thanks for the advice.

 

[Road Guy]

yeah I'm assuming the depth for a sewer pipe in your yard is probably not that deep?

Is the pipe clay or PVC?

My folks live in florida and after paying someone to clean there's out a couple of times they just paid the money to have some DIP put in and no more problems after that..

 

[Jbone27 PE]

yeah I'm assuming the depth for a sewer pipe in your yard is probably not that deep?

Is the pipe clay or PVC?

My folks live in florida and after paying someone to clean there's out a couple of times they just paid the money to have some DIP put in and no more problems after that..

I'm hoping its not to far down. We are on a hill is the only reason I'm thinking it may be a little deeper than average.

We actually have steel pipe. Plumber was surprised. It's not very common. Could be part of our issue. 

I'm going to have to look up DIP. Not familiar with it.

 

[MA_PE]

DIP = ductile iron pipe.

 

[Master slacker]

That **** (DIP) clogs!  I had a lot of our in-the-crawlspace drain replaced with PVC because it didn't drain that well.  Turns out most of the pipe was clogged except for the small spot the pipe snake cut through.  So, in a 2-inch pipe, only a half-inch hole existed.  Same way with the house main drain.  

 

[Road Guy]

I don't know much about it - but I think they had massive issues with tree roots that PVC wasn't handling very well

 

[Dleg]

Clogging is probably more a problem of poor pipe slope or just a shitload of food waste (especially oily / greasy food). DIP shouldn't clog any more readily than PVC or ABS or whatever. I have, however, seen DIP corrode like crazy under certain conditions (salty groundwater) but in most cases, it should be good for 50+ years. Clay pipe can last (theoretically) hundreds of years. Tree roots will get into just about any pipe (clay, ABS, PVC). DIP should be more resistant to root intrusion than the others, but a properly constructed ABS or PVC line should also resist root intrusion. Construction quality is the most important issue - have a good, even slope to the sewer, and bed the pipe so that it doesnt' move out of slope.

 

[Master slacker]

but in most cases, it should be good for 50+ years. 

Our drain piping was around 86 years old or thereabouts.  It looked thick.  Turns out it was sch. 160 pipe.  :blink:

 

[Supe]

Hooray for construction project leftovers!