Building New Coop/Barn...Phase 5 Great Barn Build, OCCUPIED! 3/6/16

[aart]

Was the pipe working at all?
Maybe most the problem was the lack of gutters?

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

It can all get discouraging, but I look at it as at least you are finding and fixing this stuff now as opposed to when you have it full of birds, use the bad weather to find any and all problems before hand and get everything working right. Be worse if your very nice looking chickens were standing in a watery mess. Keep tweaking.

 

[speckledhen]

Was the pipe working at all?
Maybe most the problem was the lack of gutters?

Yes, it seemed to be, to a degree, but it couldn't keep up with water pouring down from the roof and on the bank where I don't have rock closest to the entry door. Now, I have to figure how to put gutters on an entirely metal building. The box trim is just hollow to fill in the openings where the roof rafters hit the top of the wall framing. It isn't structural and I'm not sure how to attach gutters on this bldg. If it was wood, no problem.

It's a real mess outside, constant rain, mud everywhere and two more days of it predicted. Last night when it hadn't been raining all that long, it was still dry inside, but the ground around the place became saturated when the rain didn't let up and the drain on the door side didn't seem to be letting water in. I remember several folks saying this paver base would compact down and become like concrete, but then also to put it over the drain. That didn't make sense to me and it did not become like concrete or this wouldn't be happening like it is. It is just too porous for a foundation and too solid to allow water to go into the drain if it comes down more than a gentle sprinkle.

It can all get discouraging, but I look at it as at least you are finding and fixing this stuff now as opposed to when you have it full of birds, use the bad weather to find any and all problems before hand and get everything working right. Be worse if your very nice looking chickens were standing in a watery mess. Keep tweaking.

Yes, of course, it's best to get it all worked out now. DH just blithely says we'll get it all worked out, decides he can do nothing while it's raining to alleviate the situation, then gets his mind on something else. I can't do that. This is Priority 1 until it's fixed, period, as far as I'm concerned. I hate rain events like this because they give me migraines and the stress is adding to it now. I'm trying to make things, crochet, quilt, but it's dark as a tomb in the house and depressing as heck from the rain and the situation in general.


ETA: When he checked on it later, he said just what we did today, digging out some with the pick axe, helped a great deal and the standing water inside is subsiding. The rain sure hasn't stopped, that's for sure.

 

[speckledhen]

Rain has been steady since Sunday, supposed to be gone within two hours. I think we got over 4 inches. I hate to see the swamp in the barn and I hate to start the digging in the muck around it but have to. Four dry days is all we have to get this done. And it will be another two or three weeks for it to dry out inside, providing no more wet gets in. No idea how many bags of concrete this will take, but the apron and the threshold took ten. And it's turning cold. I have something to attend on Friday and a family dinner two hours south on Sunday for which I have to make something dessert-y to take which will mess with the job. Wish me luck, strong muscles and no injuries. For now, DH's kidney stone has settled into a place it isn't hurting and I hope it doesn't make an appearance until after this is over (or ever, but experience tells me it will eventually pass). His back always hurts, some days more than others, but it has to keep on going until this is finished.

 

[aart]

I'd be sure you are using a mix that will truly 'cure' in cold temps.

I used to do concrete sculpture, learned a lot about cement.
The chemical reaction that allows a concrete mix to become strong ceases at about 55F and will not restart once stopped.

There are additives to counteract this, but I am not knowledgeable about them.
Might not really affect your application...but you know how my mind works<rollseyes>


Is the water actually puddling inside the barn?

Wishing you the Best of the Best in rectifying the situation.

 

[speckledhen]

I'd be sure you are using a mix that will truly 'cure' in cold temps.

I used to do concrete sculpture, learned a lot about cement.
The chemical reaction that allows a concrete mix to become strong ceases at about 55F and will not restart once stopped.

There are additives to counteract this, but I am not knowledgeable about them.
Might not really affect your application...but you know how my mind works<rollseyes>


Is the water actually puddling inside the barn?

Wishing you the Best of the Best in rectifying the situation.

Yes, the water is in a couple of puddles under that entry door wall. When we first dug out with the pick axe, it drained back out, had somewhere to go, but the rain has been relentless since then and it came back, DH said. I mean inches and inches of rain without a break didn't give it a chance. I didn't have the heart to go look since I could do nothing about it. I've already been soaked to the bone a few times messing with it and it just won't be fixed until the outside can be dug back out. We'll remove the pipe, which will be the start of the trench and extend it to the edge of the apron we already poured, starting on the bad side. If my sister would get a move on and sell my father's house, maybe we could hire some help, but that ain't gonna happen until spring, I'm betting. This can't wait until then.

 

[aart]

The relentless rain surely can be maddening when you have outside projects to do.
My daughter in A'ville NC has been having similar issues with building a tinyhouse.
Hang in there.

 

[robhuncor]

Cyn, I've been feeling so bad for you with the water issues. I just Googled "curtain drains" and there is massive amounts of info. you can look up and also youtube how-to videos. We put one in here along one side of our house to keep water that runs off the roof from running right into our basement. They are simple to install but you have to get the slope right and you were right, you do need gravel for the trench. Just wait out the rain and then reassess the situation. Try not to rush the job - it will pay off in the end to get it done right before you start working on the inside.

 

[speckledhen]

Cyn, I've been feeling so bad for you with the water issues. I just Googled "curtain drains" and there is massive amounts of info. you can look up and also youtube how-to videos. We put one in here along one side of our house to keep water that runs off the roof from running right into our basement. They are simple to install but you have to get the slope right and you were right, you do need gravel for the trench. Just wait out the rain and then reassess the situation. Try not to rush the job - it will pay off in the end to get it done right before you start working on the inside.

The rain stopped today, thank goodness. We dug out a new trench on the "bad" side, much deeper than we went on the concrete apron that is against the building. We have 5 bags of concrete and DH plans to make a concrete gutter on that side and if it works well enough, two other sides as well. The western side where the 2 windows are and where the site drops off and keeps going, we may end up doing a better drain next to the building and using gravel in that.

here are some photos of what he has in mind, no gaps from building to rock wall/slope, at least on the rock wall side and the entry door side, though it won't look as neat and tidy as these, not having the tools to smooth is as well. We have the back of a curved shovel and a couple of hoes that might help.


The trench, taken all the way past the actual pad the barn is on, downhill and out toward the back forty.









And off topic, are these two game camera pics the same dog? I don't think so. DH does. What say you? The first one looks like it has almost no hair (click to blow up so you can see it)

 

[1muttsfan]

I think your DH may be right about the dog.

Depending on how wide your gutter is, a 5 gallon bucket lid or something similar might make a good "trowel" to set the curve of the drain.