I was thinking of installing a drain block in the basement drain of my 1968 built house to prevent back-ups from the storm sewer and when I looked down the drain I saw it was dry but remember some time ago seeing water at the bottom. When I pour water in it, it does drain out slowly. Should I be concerned? Should I have it professionally cleaned?
Answer:
You may have to do a bit more than that. If its dry and it won't hold water, that's a sign that the trap under there may have broken and it will have to be repaired. This involves breaking up a certain amount of the concrete floor in the area, repairing the plumbing and then pouring in new concrete.
Courtesy of Ren Molnar, Construction Consultant at HomeFocus.com. I can also be reached at (613) 748-3003 and Home Focus – The Radio Show is broadcast live 8 to 10 A.M. (Ottawa, Ont. time) on Saturdays on www.cfra.com. In the interests of retaining credibility and in fairness to all, I cannot recommend prices, people nor companies for various projects.