Brick "cistern" under concrete floor - Contractor Talk - Professional Construction and Remodeling Forum

jarvis design · 05-28-2009, 06:14 PM

I started a project on Tuesday in a house built in the 50's. We have gutted the basement and will be rebuilding plus adding a new bathroom. Where the laundry room was located, their was a floor drain - which the washing machine and laundry tub was connected to.

When I popped off the drain cover and peered through, I could not believe what I saw!!

There is about 30" of nothing with another 30" of water under that!! You can make out some brick work on one side and can also see the where the pipe comes in from the laundry. As I am looking through a 2" hole, I cannot see any drainage pipe going out, but that is not to say that their isn't one.

I am re-locating the laundry room (as well as installing a sewage pit/pump) as the sewer line is 4' above the basement floor.

Question: Since their will be no more water going into this from the laundry, can I drain it, make sure no other water is getting in, then seal it off??

My customer almost had a heart attack when I told him!!

My only other thought is to break up the concrete, fill the hole and pour new concrete.

I have seen lots of old cisterns in basements, just never one that was under the floor!!

Oh, and man does it stink!!

rbsremodeling · 05-28-2009, 06:34 PM

I have built a few underfloor cisterns but never had to block them off.

I can't think of one reason why you could not leave it as is and block it off. Usually the water going into it comes from the downspouts, did you check to see if any other water was being directed to it?

JDavis21835 · 05-28-2009, 07:18 PM

As long as you do not have water going into it, you can fill her up. No need to worry about tearing up floor, filling, and pouring a new slab. What you need to do is empty it. Then you need to get a flowable fill product. Around here it is a mixture of flyash, and portland cement. It pours in like water, sets hard as a rock. Most redi mixes offer this product. Same general idea as grouting block, just on a large scale. We have used it to backfill road crossings. Its pretty cool, pour in a liquid 15 feet deep, 4 feet wide 30 feet long. 15 minutes later you can walk on it, and its like walking on jello. The next day, you cant dig trough it.

WarnerConstInc. · 05-28-2009, 08:15 PM

I found this one under my back patio, after my buddy talked me into making my kitchen bigger.

It was already dug out in this picture but, that stupid thing was filled with all sorts of glass, bottles, plates, stones and junk.

rbsremodeling · 05-28-2009, 08:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by WarnerConstInc.

I found this one under my back patio, after my buddy talked me into making my kitchen bigger.

It was already dug out in this picture but, that stupid thing was filled with all sorts of glass, bottles, plates, stones and junk.

I am just got in my truck. I am heading to Indiana and I have child protective services on the car phone

JDavis21835 · 05-28-2009, 08:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rbsremodeling

I am just got in my truck. I am heading to Indiana and I have child protective services on the car phone

Dont forget osha, looks like class b soil at best, but im thinking class c since it has been dug through before, as noted by all the "debris" in the bottom

rbsremodeling · 05-28-2009, 08:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JDavis21835

Dont forget osha, looks like class b soil at best, but im thinking class c since it has been dug through before, as noted by all the "debris" in the bottom

You mean the 40 oz of coors light?

WarnerConstInc. · 05-28-2009, 08:27 PM

Hey, I paid her a fair rate that all almost 3 year olds get. Ice Cream!!!

I ended up 5' down and poured some extra thick spread footers before I set my wall forms.

WarnerConstInc. · 05-28-2009, 08:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rbsremodeling

You mean the 40 oz of coors light?

Thats a Pepsi!!

WarnerConstInc. · 05-28-2009, 08:34 PM

I walked over this for 3 months before I got the walls poured and the walls framed!

I found one I took when I found the cistern.

**Teetorbilt** · 05-28-2009, 08:42 PM

Cisterns under the house are pretty common in the Bahamas and farther 'down island' although they contain your household use water which comes off of your roof.

Having what I would call a 'wet well' or 'greywater drain' under the house is pretty unique to me.

MALCO.New.York · 05-28-2009, 09:30 PM

Leave it alone.

It ain't broke. Don't fix it!

jarvis design · 05-29-2009, 08:19 PM

Thanks for the advice.

We have drained it and there doesn't appear to be any other drains connected to it.

Gonna fill it in.

Thanks again

rbsremodeling · 05-29-2009, 08:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jarvis design

Thanks for the advice.

We have drained it and there doesn't appear to be any other drains connected to it.

Gonna fill it in.

Thanks again

Don't fill it in

neolitic · 05-29-2009, 08:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rbsremodeling

Don't fill it in

Got one o' Hoffa's boys
to stash in there?

rbsremodeling · 05-29-2009, 08:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by neolitic

Got one o' Hoffa's boys
to stash in there?

No just a theory. A picture would help out here.

If they build them like we did and for the same reasons ihe needs to leave it unfilled. To tired to type the long winded reasons.

jarvis design · 05-29-2009, 09:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rbsremodeling

No just a theory. A picture would help out here.

If they build them like we did and for the same reasons ihe needs to leave it unfilled. To tired to type the long winded reasons.

I know its Friday and it's probably been a long week!!

Sure would like to know why you think it should be left open....

Maybe you can post it later (after a nap!)

neolitic · 05-29-2009, 09:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jarvis design

I know its Friday and it's probably been a long week!!

Sure would like to know why you think it should be left open....

Maybe you can post it later (after a nap!)

I'm curious, is the bottom
finished, or like crushed stone?

rbsremodeling · 05-29-2009, 09:25 PM

ok is it a real cistern made of block or poured concrete walls?

Has the walls been waterproofed on the inside out outside?

Is there rebar in the cistern floor or walls?

is there a block turned side ways for the cistern to break or a break in the poured walls with a box built with a screen on it?

Get a pic up I thought it may be a cister from your description, there are a few downsides of filling it in, now i am really tired

K2 · 05-29-2009, 10:39 PM

I have a shallow well in my basement that could be mistaken for a cistern. Mine comes with a 1921 myers piston pump and with the basement well, a backyard shallow well, and the pump, I was able to irrigate a quarter acre of lawn through a five year drought. I know water is not a big deal in most parts of the country and Canada, but in semi arid Colorado water, water rights, wells and well permits are a big deal. My wells are grandfathered and I would never fill them in. In this part of the country you could still get shot over water rights.