Material back filling the basement...

Started by Erin, May 05, 2009, 04:52:56 PM

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Erin

OK, so we don't have any walls in the basement yet, but I'm already pondering the back fill.  ;)

We're doing surface bonded block.  We'll have both membrane or tar, as well as XPS on the outside of the walls. 
We'll also do a French style drain around the perimeter.

I know you're supposed to use gravel to back fill, but the gravel that's available in our area is more dirt than gravel.  Should we go with that regardless?
I'd really like to use the dirt (sandy loam) we pulled out during excavation as our dirt mountain is enormous! lol

Has anyone go with non-gravel back fill?  Would you do it differently?
The wise woman builds her own house... Proverbs 14:1

firefox

I would get the local gravel, but then maybe try to wash the dirt out before using it.
The reason you need the gravel is so that it will alow the water to flow through it.
If there is a lot of dirt in it it will eventually clog up and you really don't want that to happen.
Water has a mind of its own, and if you try to bend the rules, it will always win.
Bruce
Bruce & Robbie
MVPA 23824


diyfrank

What is XPS? Is that like Amerdrain  ??? Does it allow moister to fall away and down from the wall?
How tall are your walls going to be?
How wet is your soil through the winter months?
Do you have clean rock on your footing drain?
If you have a good footing drain with clean rock and a way for water to fall to it as in Amerdrain, You should be able to use native backfill against the wall.
If your walls are extra tall and/or the soil gets very wet at times, it may be good insurance to use some kind of free draining material. Sandy loam I would think would be fine backfill.

I'm not sure what you have for a project. Is there a thread going on it?
Home is where you make it

Erin

My project isn't far enough along yet for a thread.  Soon, though!

XPS is extruded polystyrene, btw.  Pink/blue board from the local building center.  Insulation.
Our walls are going to be about 8 feet tall.  And yes, we were considering using a dimpled sheeting material (I don't recall brand name we'd look at.  It might be Ameridrain...)

Which leads me to a new question:  If we do go with something like Ameridrain, would the French drain then be redundant? 
The wise woman builds her own house... Proverbs 14:1

glenn kangiser

I think clean gravel around the French drain is a necessity but Miradrain outside the wall or similar thimble board with geotextile fabric on it could get the water down to the bottom using the natural materials as backfill.
"Always work from the general to the specific." J. Raabe

Glenn's Underground Cabin  http://countryplans.com/smf/index.php?topic=151.0

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