Anybody ever had success preventing flood from coming into your home with a barrier?

[SuperMan9999]

I live in a flood prone area the geniuses who built this house didn't think to first full the place properly and raise it high enough before building the house so now I am stuck with this problem and I don't have a million dollars to break down this house and build a new one, but I inherited a free house so let me be grateful it's a high house and nobody downstairs its used as storage but when flood comes the water somehow manages to seep through the concrete walls.

I am thinking of some kind of barrier around the house like 1 feet away from the house maybe erect a concrete wall 3 feet high and then dump sand between the house and that wall barrier? then cement the top of it to make it look completed like a beam? but flood which can last 48 hours might still soak through that I am guessing the water seeping through the bottom of the wall somehow? I may have to DIG through the ground in order to get the wall lower than the house to prevent the water from seeping through right?

Are there other solutions? like aluminum barriers that can be installed by digging a few inches below the dirt and cementing it or something?
Have any of you had success? I want to do some sort of beam or barrier around the house to try and stop this water from getting inside for now and later on I could raise the whole yard with backfill which may turn the downstairs into a basement and hope we never get another 2018 repeat that can go that high I think I will be safe with 3 feet high barrier.

[timelapse]

I live in a flood prone area the geniuses who built this house didn't think to first full the place properly and raise it high enough before building the house so now I am stuck with this problem and I don't have a million dollars to break down this house and build a new one, but I inherited a free house so let me be grateful it's a high house and nobody downstairs its used as storage but when flood comes the water somehow manages to seep through the concrete walls.

I am thinking of some kind of barrier around the house like 1 feet away from the house maybe erect a concrete wall 3 feet high and then dump sand between the house and that wall barrier? then cement the top of it to make it look completed like a beam? but flood which can last 48 hours might still soak through that I am guessing the water seeping through the bottom of the wall somehow? I may have to DIG through the ground in order to get the wall lower than the house to prevent the water from seeping through right?

Are there other solutions? like aluminum barriers that can be installed by digging a few inches below the dirt and cementing it or something?
Have any of you had success? I want to do some sort of beam or barrier around the house to try and stop this water from getting inside for now and later on I could raise the whole yard with backfill which may turn the downstairs into a basement and hope we never get another 2018 repeat that can go that high I think I will be safe with 3 feet high barrier.

I have assisted a neighbor where I lived before with something like this. The foundation trench needs to be deep.Not sure what terrain and what area of Trinidad. 12 inch concrete block wall right around the perimeter .The blocks have to be loaded with concrete and sufficient steel reinforcement, preferably steel straight up from the beam. There's a hump in the gateway that is tied in with the wall. To the sides of the gateway, we concreted sumps, with submersible pumps installed to pump water back outside.
There are brackets on the gate posts that accommodate a single steel plate that acts as a barrier when there is flooding.This barrier can be removed when there is no threat.
PM me for details if I didn't explain this well

[SuperMan9999]

I have assisted a neighbor where I lived before with something like this. The foundation trench needs to be deep.Not sure what terrain and what area of Trinidad. 12 inch concrete block wall right around the perimeter .The blocks have to be loaded with concrete and sufficient steel reinforcement, preferably steel straight up from the beam. There's a hump in the gateway that is tied in with the wall. To the sides of the gateway, we concreted sumps, with submersible pumps installed to pump water back outside.
There are brackets on the gate posts that accommodate a single steel plate that acts as a barrier when there is flooding.This barrier can be removed when there is no threat.
PM me for details if I didn't explain this well

Hi this sounds like a great idea, so you are saying even with the 12 inch concrete block you put around the perimeter filled with steel and concrete, water does still seep through that? HOOOW?

Are you saying the water comes through the gateway? because in my situation I plan to put like a step to walk over the wall so it will be totally sealed. I didn't want to have to deal with sump pump, if I had to do that I might full backfill or sand or something inside the house and concrete it over raising the flooring, not sure what you think about that idea?

Do you by chance have any pictures? I wanna avoid having a sump pump I swear I scorn flood water inside my house so much eh.

[timelapse]

I have assisted a neighbor where I lived before with something like this. The foundation trench needs to be deep.Not sure what terrain and what area of Trinidad. 12 inch concrete block wall right around the perimeter .The blocks have to be loaded with concrete and sufficient steel reinforcement, preferably steel straight up from the beam. There's a hump in the gateway that is tied in with the wall. To the sides of the gateway, we concreted sumps, with submersible pumps installed to pump water back outside.
There are brackets on the gate posts that accommodate a single steel plate that acts as a barrier when there is flooding.This barrier can be removed when there is no threat.
PM me for details if I didn't explain this well

Hi this sounds like a great idea, so you are saying even with the 12 inch concrete block you put around the perimeter filled with steel and concrete, water does still seep through that? HOOOW?

Are you saying the water comes through the gateway? because in my situation I plan to put like a step to walk over the wall so it will be totally sealed. I didn't want to have to deal with sump pump, if I had to do that I might full backfill or sand or something inside the house and concrete it over raising the flooring, not sure what you think about that idea?

Do you by chance have any pictures? I wanna avoid having a sump pump I swear I scorn flood water inside my house so much eh.

Water does not seep through the blocks as much. The water comes through the spaces in the gateway.Also, in sealing water from the outside, take into account that you will also be trapping rainfall on the inside.You have the get the water out ,else it is pointless.
The point to consider even when backfilling is that you have enter and exit the yard. The entryways will always be your weakest points.
And yes, water can seep through bricks and concrete, especially where the water has enough time to soak

[SuperMan9999]

^ Ok yes you are right about the rainfall part I forgot water has to leave the yard lol.

Well in my case luckily I am trying to prevent water from getting inside the house, I can deal with flood in the yard and around the house for now until I full up around the house with backfill later on. But for now it's just to prevent water from entering downstairs inside the house so my plan was to build the wall around the perimeter of the house but like 1 feet away from the house.

So I will follow your idea to dig the ground deep enough maybe 1 foot deep trench and place the concrete blocks from there and build up with cement and steel. I will look into hydraulic cement and whatever else filling that might be useful in making the concrete more resistant to water.

I suppose I just have to hope a 2018 mega flood never repeats cause that was insane 5 feet high water by me which would have crossed my planned 3 feet wall barrier and need a pump to get water out of the house but Rowley did say that only happens once in a hundred years so yeah.

[triniterribletim]

Don't that have those flood barriers available now. If I recall, I even saw one that was mostly lie flat/retractable and deployed in a minute.

[SuperMan9999]

Don't that have those flood barriers available now. If I recall, I even saw one that was mostly lie flat/retractable and deployed in a minute.

Nah I doing a permanent solution for the entire perimeter of the house concrete barrier 1 foundation concrete block thick a foot from the house wall then full up the block with steel and cement to dry then the space between that concrete barrier and the house with sand or something prevent water from soaking all the way through the concrete and wall of the house after that I can then full up the yard with backfill. to prevent water from even entering the property

[Rory Phoulorie]

Don’t use loaded concrete blocks. Use a reinforced concrete barrier wall. Since it is a relatively low wall and relatively short length, try and pour the concrete in one continuous operation. You can then apply one of those waterproof coatings to both sides of the wall to make it more impermeable.

[pugboy]

yeah, the brick joints will never be as water tight as a continuously poured beam
needs proper steel to avoid it cracking with movement

Don’t use loaded concrete blocks. Use a reinforced concrete barrier wall. Since it is a relatively low wall and relatively short length, try and pour the concrete in one continuous operation. You can then apply one of those waterproof coatings to both sides of the wall to make it more impermeable.

[timelapse]

Don’t use loaded concrete blocks. Use a reinforced concrete barrier wall. Since it is a relatively low wall and relatively short length, try and pour the concrete in one continuous operation. You can then apply one of those waterproof coatings to both sides of the wall to make it more impermeable.

I didn't know that people pre-loaded blocks
Pouring the concrete into the blocks is what I meant.Cartridging is what its called I think

[one eye]

When building a flood-retaining wall remember that water is an unstoppable force, you need to build an immovable wall.

Most importantly get a good depth for the foundation, run up the regular concrete blocks like you would for a standard wall, fill it with concrete, nothing too expensive since you already plan to backfill the land soon.

Paste inside and outside with TLA coating sealant for waterproofing, run some steel mesh around for the concrete to bind and cast over it.

Put dirt between the wall and your house for support.

Plant some flowers or veggies around the perimeter and enjoy the fruits of your labor.

[goalpost]

I live in a flood prone area the geniuses who built this house didn't think to first full the place properly and raise it high enough before building the house so now I am stuck with this problem and I don't have a million dollars to break down this house and build a new one, but I inherited a free house so let me be grateful it's a high house and nobody downstairs its used as storage but when flood comes the water somehow manages to seep through the concrete walls.

I am thinking of some kind of barrier around the house like 1 feet away from the house maybe erect a concrete wall 3 feet high and then dump sand between the house and that wall barrier? then cement the top of it to make it look completed like a beam? but flood which can last 48 hours might still soak through that I am guessing the water seeping through the bottom of the wall somehow? I may have to DIG through the ground in order to get the wall lower than the house to prevent the water from seeping through right?

Are there other solutions? like aluminum barriers that can be installed by digging a few inches below the dirt and cementing it or something?
Have any of you had success? I want to do some sort of beam or barrier around the house to try and stop this water from getting inside for now and later on I could raise the whole yard with backfill which may turn the downstairs into a basement and hope we never get another 2018 repeat that can go that high I think I will be safe with 3 feet high barrier.

Does this only happen with flooding?
Also, i don't think the water is coming through the blocks but rather entry ways.

[timelapse]

I live in a flood prone area the geniuses who built this house didn't think to first full the place properly and raise it high enough before building the house so now I am stuck with this problem and I don't have a million dollars to break down this house and build a new one, but I inherited a free house so let me be grateful it's a high house and nobody downstairs its used as storage but when flood comes the water somehow manages to seep through the concrete walls.

I am thinking of some kind of barrier around the house like 1 feet away from the house maybe erect a concrete wall 3 feet high and then dump sand between the house and that wall barrier? then cement the top of it to make it look completed like a beam? but flood which can last 48 hours might still soak through that I am guessing the water seeping through the bottom of the wall somehow? I may have to DIG through the ground in order to get the wall lower than the house to prevent the water from seeping through right?

Are there other solutions? like aluminum barriers that can be installed by digging a few inches below the dirt and cementing it or something?
Have any of you had success? I want to do some sort of beam or barrier around the house to try and stop this water from getting inside for now and later on I could raise the whole yard with backfill which may turn the downstairs into a basement and hope we never get another 2018 repeat that can go that high I think I will be safe with 3 feet high barrier.

Does this only happen with flooding?
Also, i don't think the water is coming through the blocks but rather entry ways.

It used to flood by my previous house.Water can come through blocks.The best you can hope for is to slow it down enough until the flood subsides. Concrete is porous by nature

[pugboy]

and places where concrete was poured separately as mentioned above
those joints are plain porous
i know a house where once the box drain fills up
the water seeps under slab and comes up in middle of house via tiles

[goalpost]

so the polyethylene plastic they put below the concrete doesn't help?

[goalpost]

i'm assuming this is cause by the pressure of water, against a wall, because i cant wrap my head around a plastered and painted wall have water seeping through, unless we're talking about just naked blocks.

[pugboy]

the purpose of the plastic sheet below is to prevent ground moisture seeping up in general and causing the steel to rust which expands and splits the slab rendering it useless

concrete is generally not guaranteed to be non porous to water

so the polyethylene plastic they put below the concrete doesn't help?

[screwbash]

not the same but i dug a big hole in the back like 20 - 30 feet down and 40 feet wide and filled half with gravel and boulders and channel the over run water to that area also i have river conchs and cascadu living in there and idk how talipia in there now. i does trow line now and then to catch a few but it works once the flood not too quick. also the driveway from the gate is higher than the road and then sloping downwards with dirt, gravel and some kinda mini bamboo looking plant on each side to prevent the dirt washing away.