Early on, we described the problems encountered with the foundation and the need to put in a much deeper and robust and expensive foundation which actually goes well below the water table [which is quite high due to the proximity of the lake]. In order to eliminate the water under the house, Pine Building had a really good sump pump installed. The "basement" stays nice and dry.
But solving that problem has created another one.
Our lakeside yard has become a swamp. Pine has got their plumber working on the issue. First, he connected all of the downspouts to some irrigation pipe that he put in the ground. The ditch you see on the right connects to one on the left... and then into the middle of the lawn. The sump pump also connects to the ditch on the left and that is the source of the problem.
The proposed solution is to dig a large hole in the lawn and fill it with gravel and then cover it with dirt and, we presume, grass. The hole will go down to the water table and allow the water from the pump and gutters to seep back down into the water table below. It's a continuous loop of lake water going into the ground and into the foundation and being pumped back out to the surface and oozing into the ground. Not really satisfying and quite expensive.
Our hope is that it works. Otherwise, we may have a real long-term problem here.
This should have been addressed in warm weather, but all of the focus was on getting the house exterior finished and the home insulated and heated for the winter. The test will be when the plumber comes back from the holidays to complete the "French drain." I have my doubts about the drain's ability to handle that much water... but I'm not the expert and I'm leaving it to the experts.
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