Info-to-Build-On Spring Runoff by Raoul Hennin April 6, 2005 Spring rain brings ground water to its highest levels of the year - an ideal time for site observation.

It rained off and on for several days last week. The snow melted and the ground thawed. Water pooled and then ran across the ground. On Sunday morning the culvert under our driveway was nearly overwhelmed with the worst flooding conditions in 10 years. Sunday afternoon we retreated to our basement where the player piano drowned out the sound of the rain. The basement is dry.

Spring time in Maine has arrived. April showers bring sudden, astute powers of observation to every homeowner. Carefully designed, well executed sites can handle the worst of the spring flooding with ease. For new houses, built within the last year, this past weekend was a supreme trial. Potential problems were fully developed by the combination of rain, melting snow, and thawing ground.

Several days after the rain ended, there are standing mud puddles in many hollows. Even a casual observer can easily identify problem areas on raw land for driveways, septic fields, and house foundations. These are perfect conditions for observing natural drainage patterns; now is a great time to visit your new house site! While experienced site evaluators are able to accurately predict problem areas at nearly any time of year, there is no substitute for first-hand knowledge of spring rain runoff.

If you are not able to visit your site during this special time, you may have to rely on theoretical predictions of percolation, erosion tendencies, and drainage patterns. Without first-hand observations of spring runoff, many house sites are built and then repaired as needed. The problem is that some essential details are difficult to repair after construction has been completed. Shelter Institute students enjoy an overview of the critical moments of construction where small details can pay big dividends in the long run.

A dry basement is a direct result of effective drainage, best installed at the time of initial construction. This weekend I was reminded of the critical nature of such small details that call for presence of mind during construction. On our basement walls, I did not even use any of the conventional water sealant treatments, tar coatings, bituminous rubber membranes, etc. My concrete contractor shook his head as the excavator backfilled against bare concrete shielded only by styrofoam insulation. I considered inviting him for dinner, and piano tunes in the dry basement, last Sunday.

Our basement is dry because of a gently sloped, straight drain tile placed in the bottom of a muddy, mosquito-infested trench one hot, humid afternoon in June many years ago. The power of gravity to channel water away from the house was further enhanced by careful swaling and burming of earth. The planning, preparation, and actual work of creating a dry basement may have added a total of 1/2 day to the construction timeline, but this work left a lasting legacy in a constant, dry space that is cool in summer and warm in winter.

The Shelter Institute Design/Build class details the necessary design elements that ensure a dry basement, and addresses many other challenges where seemingly small details make a big difference. The Foundation class alone covers the details of 14 different types of foundation which collectively address every major residential site challenge. In Site class, students learn to evaluate drainage patterns and evaluate soil types to ensure proper drainage for house foundations and roads.

Shelter Institute classes celebrate common sense. As owner/builders, Shelter Institute students know that the benefits of a dry basement far outweigh the cost of setting the drain tile properly the first time. Knowledge of how to address such crucial details in the heat of construction creates lasting value in the homes of Shelter Institute Graduates.

Shelter Institute offers house Design/Build classes throughout the year. You can view our entire schedule online at: