Water Damage by Deck Footing

[lBasket]

I don't really know many people to ask about something like this and you guys are smart so I figured it's worth a shot.

Yesterday it rained super crazy. The water normally comes down the driveway and either runs along the driveway, or turns and runs along my jeep and a retaining wall around the side of the house.

You can see in the picture that the water overflowed where it makes the turn behind the jeep to go alongside it and around the house, and instead ran down my walkway and deck.

It poured off the deck directly next to one of the footings:

I've checked and the bottom of the footing is NOT exposed, so luckily whoever built this deck had the foresight to put the footing deep AF.

I have a rental for a trencher reserved on Monday to build trenches alongside the driveway and near the Jeep to better divert the water away from the house in the future.

I am thinking I can rent a compactor, like the jumping jack here: https://www.homedepot.com/c/compaction_equipment_rental

And then either get dirt delivered or re-use the dirt that eroded away (it's all piled under the deck very close nearby), wet it slightly and compact it layer by layer to build this back up?

Or am I in a situation where I need huge loads of dirt delivered and compacted by a skid steer or something. I am hoping to avoid that because this should be a one-time thing once the water is diverted away from the house better.

 

[Mike_H]

If it didn’t wash out all the way to the bottom, pile the dirt back up and send it. Grading the grounds around the posts can help prevent that in the future. Also, if you deck sheds water like that, a gutter off the edge might not be the worst thing in the world to divert the water where you want it.

 

[Farmergreg]

When you say trenching, will be putting in drainage tile and covering with stone as a french drain sort of to catch the water as it comes down?
Or shaping the dirt to divert the water?
I'd look into a load of crushed stone to compact around the deck footings rather than dirt.

 

[lBasket]

If it didn’t wash out all the way to the bottom, pile the dirt back up and send it. Grading the grounds around the posts can help prevent that in the future. Also, if you deck sheds water like that, a gutter off the edge might not be the worst thing in the world to divert the water where you want it.

Yesss thank goodness, this is what I was hoping to hear! So glad the footings are so deep lol.

That makes sense. I will probably try to improve the entire area while I'm at it. And yeah a gutter might be a good option... I've never seen a foot-level gutter haha! Although really I think the water ideally will be diverted before getting onto the deck if possible... but I may end up needing both for good measure.

 

[lBasket]

When you say trenching, will be putting in drainage tile and covering with stone as a french drain sort of to catch the water as it comes down?
Or shaping the dirt to divert the water?

I am a bit on a time crunch so. For now I just wanted to get open trenches in before I go on a trip on Tuesday, since the weather forecast says more rain (no idea if it'd actually rain that hard again). Just to prevent it from getting worse when I'm not home.

When I get back I'm not sure. Would you suggest doing some sort of french drain instead of leaving it open? I'm guessing that would be ideal to prevent erosion from the water running through an open trench?

I'd look into a load of crushed stone to compact around the deck footings rather than dirt.

Ok good to know thank you! There is a rockyard nearby I think I can have them load into my truck. It's gonna be a LOT of work to not pay someone to move all this dirt but I am a cheap ass when I can be.

 

[Mike_H]

I am a bit on a time crunch so. For now I just wanted to get open trenches in before I go on a trip on Tuesday, since the weather forecast says more rain (no idea if it'd actually rain that hard again). Just to prevent it from getting worse when I'm not home.

When I get back I'm not sure. Would you suggest doing some sort of french drain instead of leaving it open? I'm guessing that would be ideal to prevent erosion from the water running through an open trench?


Ok good to know thank you! There is a rockyard nearby I think I can have them load into my truck. It's gonna be a LOT of work to not pay someone to move all this dirt but I am a cheap ass when I can be.

I did a ton (literally) of stone (31a crushed, I think it was) a couple weeks ago on one side of my barn, took about four hours to get the stone, unload and spread it, and return the truck.

Took me about four days to recover…but I’m old and fat

 

[lBasket]

I did a ton (literally) of stone (31a crushed, I think it was) a couple weeks ago on one side of my barn, took about four hours to get the stone, unload and spread it, and return the truck.

Took me about four days to recover…but I’m old and fat

That isn't bad time at all.

If I'm lucky I'll be able to back the truck up to the slope and just dump it off from there!

I am young and lazy so i may need the same recovery time

 

[Farmergreg]

The other thought i had, the gravel road or drive that we see in the picture. Is that private or public maintained?
Bank more stone on your side of the road so it would function like a curb to direct the water down beyond where it damages your property.

 

[lBasket]

The other thought i had, the gravel road or drive that we see in the picture. Is that private or public maintained?
Bank more stone on your side of the road so it would function like a curb to direct the water down beyond where it damages your property.

It is a county maintained road. I live on the end of a culdesac that is slightly inclined downhill, towards my driveway. I may be able to pile some stuff to turn most of it before it gets to my driveway.... I think part of the culdesac's flat area is my property. That is a good idea for some extra protection