Photo Record
Images
Metadata
Collection |
DeTurk |
Title |
Cellar floor drains |
Archive Number |
DTR09PH82 |
Description |
Restored floor drain inlet through east foundation wall of kitchen. See DTR09PH14--1001.01.095 for a pre-restoration view of this corner. The bottom of the 6-inch PVC pipe inserted in the upper half of the rectangular drain tunnel is 8 inches below the door sill [2 inches lower than the restored floor level will be]. The pipe will drain the kitchen floor when the creek level is lower than the water level in the kitchen, provided the water level in the kitchen is no more than 8 inches below the sill. It is expected that this drain, in conjunction with the dual channel-drain system to be installed in the stairwell outside the kitchen doorway, will lower the water table inside and outside the door sill by 6-12 inches within hours after heavy rain ceases and the creek recedes. Under conditions preceding these installations, the water table receded as little as 1 inch [or less] per day {1}, depending on the degree of saturation of the surrounding watershed. Back-flow will be controlled by a check valve at the outlet of the pipe. Setting the drain inlet any lower than this would create reverse ["negative"] pitch to the outlet elevation at the bottom of the pipe. The terra-cotta pipe through the north wall was installed in the 1970s to drain the modern kitchen floor, which was 18-24 inches above the original [ to be restored] brick-paved floor elevation, too high to reduce saturation of the lower foundation wall and its mortar joints. Provision will be made to install an emergency sump-pump in the northeast corner segment of the sedimentation trough to drain the cellar in extreme flooding conditions. A sleeve will pass through the existing terra-cotta pipe in the north wall [upper left quadrant of photo] for the outlet hose from the pump. This photo also shows the restored foundation walls converging at the northeast corner of the kitchen, now plumb, re-mortared, and stabilized. This restored stonework was repointed in April, 2010 using hydraulic mortar below the high water-table level. The Left jamb of the early drain is 10 inches from the northeast interior corner. The right edge of the terra-cotta pipe is 14 inches west of the same corner. The darker stones at water level are the base blocks of the foundation and are set on a leveling layer of sandy clay on limestone bedrock, which provides a stable natural "footing" for the masonry wall system {2}. FOOTNOTES {1} Numerous photos and water table level readings taken between July, 2009 and April, 2010 clearly demonstrate the slow rate of percolation of ground water accumulations away from the building and into the creek. {2} Less than two miles south of this building the working face of a limestone quarry is over 400 feet high. Laurence Ward, 2010 |
Search Terms |
DTR09PH DTHPH DTPH DTHEEWF DTR09 DT De Turck De Turk DeTurck DeTurk DeTurk House DeTurk Photo Terra-cotta Drain Pipe Base Block Floor Drain |
People |
DeTurk, John |
Object Name |
Print, Photographic |
Accession number |
1001.01 |
Date |
December 7, 2009 |
Photographer |
Larry Ward |
Catalog Number |
1001.01.171 |

