Drainage system stabilizes retaining wall

[@dannycottrell4387]

I love to see your videos because you follow up on your work and take pride in your job! That is the best way to be successful in life.

[@dcwshoreline5416]

One of my favourite channels on youtube! This is gold content

[@GCFD]

Thank you very much Josh! Thanks for your support! - Shawn

[@pauldunecat]

It's cool that low tech contouring of the land is super effective vs. just more pipes more basins more French drains. The right approach for each individual issue. Nice!

[@GCFD]

Thank you Paul! This system is working very well as I talk to the homeowner occasionally.

[@tnt666tnt]

Such a cold week and brutal work week here in Canada. Was looking forward to watching this tonight in front if my wood stove. Didnt disappoint, fantastic job. :)

[@GCFD]

Thanks Chris! I always look forward to your comments. Stay warm!

[@pneumatic00]

One thing I'll say about your videos--they show important clues to how the general drainage is happening around a given house. If you're looking at buying a house, you should look carefully at where there may be standing water and how the various slopes go. You're in NC where it rains a LOT, but I see plenty of homes (of course, they wouldn't be calling you out if there wasn't a problem) where there's mold and moss and a puddle here and there but they all tell a story and you could be looking at a lot of work to mitigate these kinds of issues.

[@GCFD]

I agree! I talk to homeowners all the time who bought a house within a month and there is water flooding the basement or running through the back door! I work with a lot of RE deals providing drainage assessments for buyers.

[@Stratos53100]

@@GCFD As to my other comment, It's good that you do this.. If its required by home inspections it would catch it before people get caught in a nightmare. Although thats another catch 22 if it knocks down the overall buisness, Would imagine a lot of people just let it go & dont consider the consequences.

[@RamonInNZ]

Sounded like the beach/ocean when you were speeding up the concrete laying......😁

[@GCFD]

It sure does. I thought that was kind of cool.

[@stevenprice9327]

Some spot on camera work for this one. Excellent work with the editing, much appreciated. 👍

[@GCFD]

Thanks for your support Steven. I've been trying to improve things for sure, I think this might be my best video yet...

[@pottsy3765]

Shawn I get it. You are awesome. I wish you could fly to Texas and fix the drain problems here in the spring. So you can stop now. My wife thinks you are incredible. So if I get a divorce its your fault. Love the channel. !!!!!!! I wish you all the success in the world.

[@GCFD]

Hhaha thank you! Thanks for your support! - Shawn

[@tracyrain4941]

Really enjoying your channel. It's now my 'go to' for a final bit of tv before bed. I find it somehow relaxing and easy to wind down to. What does confuse me is why drainage doesn't seem to be taken into consideration when building. You'd think water, whether plumbing in or draining out, would both be as important.

[@GCFD]

I'm glad you're enjoying the channel! I ask the same thing all the time. People never seem to consider drainage when building or making changes.

[@Stratos53100]

@ Tracy Rain Well said... This is much better than the majority of bogus hyped reality shows

[@Stratos53100]

@@GCFD Unfortun. its the people that buy properties & find out the Bad hidden flaws later down the road, It should be a requirement for home inspections before purchase nationwide.

[@tmmtmm]

It's a big thing here in Australia. Unless it's a rural property, all water is caught and piped out via PVC to the storm water system in the street. That said, the most common issue is then that the whole street backs up in a heavy downpour, or people renovate and overwhelm their drainage system by catching additional roof area and sending it through the existing pipes. Also no shortage of concrete sloping the wrong way here!

[@cheongyei]

It's sad how homeowners have trusted other contractors to enhance their property and yet some contractors are clueless about drainage. Glad that there is a Gate City drainage operation that has good concrete subcontractors to help these homeowners.

[@GCFD]

👍 Thank you!

[@brucehobbs1734]

Great editing and content!

[@michaelsa892]

That was pretty awesome seeing the shingle dust coming out really proves that you are right and pvc is the best

[@GCFD]

Yea that was too funny! Great photo op! Thanks for watching Michael!

[@thomasmorrison3279]

You produce excellent videos. Keep up the good work.

[@GCFD]

Thanks for your comment and support Thomas! - Shawn

[@dustbat]

Another great one. So, the basement drain now only handles any flooding inside the area. Hope we never need that! Home owner had a good idea by painting the pipe.

[@GCFD]

Yes the idea is that basement drain never has any water in it 👍

[@jjime1175]

Nice to see you using 90 degree sweeps instead of elbows for the downspout, people don’t realize the hammer affect when water dropping from the gutter to the bottom will bounce and slow the flow with a elbow “ the hammer affect”

[@GCFD]

Yes, we try to preserve as much flow as we can with every decision.

[@jaymurtagh]

Love watching your videos . You do a great job . 👏. Gives me ideas on what I need done in my yard.

[@GCFD]

Thanks for watching Jay! I'm glad you're enjoying the videos and finding them useful - Shawn

[@65csx83]

Good concise video of a job well done. Something I noticed your concrete people didn't use much gravel under that slab which seems routine these days. When I was a kid, they usually put several inches of gravel under walks, driveways, and pads. With all that water oozing up, it seems it would be more necessary for a good gravel base even though you may not have the freezing / heaving problem in your area as we do here..

[@GCFD]

We have impermeable clay subsoils around here, so not much subsurface water, and it rarely freezes here, like you said.

[@danlah1303]

Would be interesting to see if some tracing dye could help visualize water flowing thru new swale in the “after” video.

[@GCFD]

That would be awesome!

[@AudioTones67]

Curious to know what you don't use a concrete line pump for the difficult access jobs? I know there's a hire cost, but wouldn't it make the job considerably easier (and faster)?

[@andrewbond3746]

Why do you let the out falls stick so far out? And where could I look up rules and regs for residential drainage in Michigan?

[@GCFD]

No one ever knows where their pipes come out, because they get buried, crushed, destroyed. I want mine to stick out for one reason - to blow out debris and not get covered up and forgotten. If the system is working correctly the pipes will gush water out.

[@Merrill26osu]

You should post the video of the lady throwing the fit if have it. Might be most views yet!

[@GCFD]

Hahah, search for best Karens of 2020 and you'll see. She was upset that our trucks were parked in the cul-d-sac. She was so nice that morning when the first pickup truck pulled in...

[@Rusty_Gold85]

wrong time of the month

[@Dust76tr]

@@Rusty_Gold85 when you’re dealing with a Karen, any day ending with a Y is the wrong time of the month

[@garystanfill7806]

Hey you said something about recycling concrete. How do they do it

[@GCFD]

They crush it and resell it as road base

[@ryanglaser5336]

​@@GCFDI'd buy it for rip rap seawall

[@BrettSurenne]

I've never seen a slab of concrete like that poured without Reinforcing Mesh. Is that a cost saving measure in the US?

[@GCFD]

No, we don't require reinforcement in our area of North America. the reason is we don't have a frost line, no bentonite and impermeable subsoils.

[@CitizenPerkins]

Great videography! You've got another subscriber! Thanks! 👍

[@GCFD]

Thank you! Keep in mind my channel recently has grown and I've been working to increase my production value. So if you look at my older videos you might be disappointed. 👍

[@larryehrlich57]

Maybe you should be proactive in the future and set out some traffic control cones. Expect the unexpected and be proactive with the traffic cones. Nice video.

[@Saki630]

we like to see you work

[@GCFD]

Thank you

[@cheskydivision]

wish I had a Shawn of many skills here in Michigan.

[@GCFD]

👍

[@jpage8843]

"Shawn of many skills" - love that!

[@andrewausterfield6710]

It's amazing to me that anyone would grade concrete towards the house. It makes absolutely no sense. Do you think it was graded like that originally or if the grade has changed over time as the house has settled?

[@GCFD]

I would guess settling occurred. Check out my video concrete driveway fail where a contractor sloped a new driveway into the foundation and the house flooded instantly. It was a nightmare for the homeowner until she found me.

[@andrewausterfield6710]

@@GCFD I look at my own job and much of it could be done without me if folks had a little common sense and organization. However, neither of these skills seem in abundant supply and that lack has provided me with a good living over the years, so I can't complain! I guess the same is true for you when you're called out to fix an issue that really shouldn't have happened in the first place. Happy and prosperous New Year to you and your crew!

[@RHEC1776]

Where's the rebar

[@GCFD]

This area of NC typically doesn't use rebar. We very rarely see rebar when we replace existing concrete. I know other parts of the country use rebar much more often.

[@potatolew4495]

I have poured many large slabs in my home state N.J. and many did not have rebar as fiber tac was added to the concrete. The geographic location plays into what is required, there has also been improvements to the concrete itself, referring to additives.

[@richardburgos4230]

9:10 begins the sound of the ocean.

[@GCFD]

I just love that sequence. It's still one of my favorites on my entire channel. 👍👍

[@garyhenry2546]

Why dont you put gravel under the concrete?

[@GCFD]

We use gravel or sandrock if needed. Here we have extremely stable clay subsoils and no bentonite.

[@MrDeni3d]

@17:32 there was no primer on those pipes? What’s that about?

[@GCFD]

We have stared using Rain-r-Shine which has primer + glue in one. It's Blue in color. Check it out, you can use it right in water.

[@MrDeni3d]

@@GCFD the Oatey Rain R Shine still requires the purple primer. They only have one All in one PVC cement that I know of for drainage/irrigation applications and that’s their Fusion PVC Cement. I could be wrong but that’s how we learn.

[@thebigmacd]

@@MrDeni3d Oatey says "No primer needed where local code permits". In other words it doesn't need primer, but some code has no concept of primerless application.

[@potatolew4495]

I cannot believe the large gaps the initial contractor left in that wall, I am sure that is the precast wall stone that go together with pins. In N.J. it is either EP Henry or Anchor wall stone,, that looks like typical Anchor stone, I have it in my backyard.. There are ways to avoid such massive gaps 1/4 " gap is acceptable, those look like 1/2 or better with the little bit of stone washing through. If that wall is passing 3/4 stone then "Houston we have a problem!" Great video, would guess there was not much stone added behind that wall, most likely backfilled with dirt. I repaired a wall outside a new supermarket that was 3 months old, the first big rain came and literally blew the wall apart. No drainage stone behind the wall, totally disassembled and rebuilt with geogrid, and a 3 foot barrier of 3/4 blue from wall to earth lined with what we call road fabric, very heavy landscape fabric. Also installed multiple drains from the parking lot to divert water NOT USING FLEX PIPE, used a 12" s/d main to a drainage ditch. That was 15 years ago, wall is still as level when we installed it and drainage still working as planned. Once again love your videos, keep up the great work.

[@GCFD]

It looks like the wall has moved out a little bit, which would explain the gaps. I think he needed more gravel like you said. You can't have too much behind a retaining wall.

[@SlackerU]

If there was a product you could sell, besides shirts, I think it'd be some sort of colored-shrink-wrap of sorts for the discharges that's UV resistant with "stormwater", "roof-water", "FD-water"... labels. Ya need some dedicated above surface clear-primer & clear-glue 22:08 I'd have like to have seen that bottom pipe jetted & possibly connected to a 3in pipe. 21:40 28:27

[@GCFD]

Thanks for the comments Bob! I've told my guys over and over about the visible glue. We recently switched from primer + glue to rain-r-shine so we don't have too much clear glue left. I was wondering about trying to replace the pipe under the retaining wall. I figured a lot of gravel would be the best bet for moving water. Plus, since we got all that water out of there the drain shouldn't be as critical.

[@alanrobison3298]

Why no rebar or wire mat?

[@GCFD]

It's not needed in our climate with our subsoils.

[@estherbrown4084]

How could the retaining wall be renovated now that the drainage system has been installed?

[@GCFD]

You would have to remove the retaining wall blocks and excavate behind them as you go. Then, you rebuild the wall and backfill with tons of gravel. I agree with the homeowner here that it should be good as long as it is stabilized now. A combination of piping the gutter water through PVC, establishing a grade away from the wall, and improving the wall's drainage should remove any excess water burdening that wall.

[@Matlockization]

That black pipe at the base of the retaining wall. I would attach another pipe to it leading some ways down the hill. To have it free flowing, I would not recommend.

[@GCFD]

Great idea! We tried to get the water completely off the wall so that black pipe at the base never saw any water.

[@ryanglaser5336]

​@@GCFDdoes anything come out of that one during very heavy rain events?

[@windsorx]

wow no rebar or any wire in the concrete at all???

[@GCFD]

Nope. We don't use rebar here in NC. Our native soils are pretty stable

[@windsorx]

@@GCFD wow interesting with all the water flow but if its clay that makes sense

[@larrymartensmartens1044]

Shawn, could you explain a full bubble meant in the fall where do start first to lay out the pipe to reference from start to end run. Do you use rotating lazer level in your work?

[@GCFD]

Hi Larry - I only use a laser if we are trenching across flat ground, where the trench creates our downward slope. If the ground is already sloping down, we just trench and the drop in the ground gives us our fall.

[@anthonyfindlay466]

Get a self loading track machine Shawn! keep up the good work.

[@GCFD]

Hahah Anthony! I can finally say, check my other videos!

[@amandapeine6745]

Seems the wall was built vertical. Shouldn't it have been with setback at each course?

[@GCFD]

Yes it should have been and with proper drainage to prevent overburdening the wall.

[@benjaminreinhardt259]

What were the temps while you were pouring concrete? I have some concrete work to do and have been putting it off until spring because I thought you couldn't do concrete in the winter.

[@GCFD]

We are here in NC so it doesn't get all too cold. Temps were high 40s during the day and 30s at night. My concrete guys won't pour if conditions are too wet or too cold.

[@benjaminreinhardt259]

@@GCFD I'm over in Elizabeth City, not too far from you. I never meant to question your concrete guys, looks like they know what they're doing.

[@GCFD]

I didn't take it that way! I guess I just meant I default to them on if we can pour or not. I have a very big project right now that's sitting waiting for concrete but they won't pour. Not worth the risk...

[@DaddyBeanDaddyBean]

I know a contractor in northern Pennsylvania who was trying to finish a flip, and poured a concrete driveway in the winter on a day forecast to be dry... and just as they finished, an unexpected snow squall blew in and ruined it. They had to demo it and start again... and the same thing happened again. Third time was a charm.

[@alanrobison3298]

Karen will regret not moving her vehicle when it gets splattered with concrete. Some people need to learn the hard way. You did your part by letting her know what was going on. Good job!

[@GCFD]

Haha she even tried to sabotage the house sale by bitching to buyers who were looking. Poor Karen wants everyone to be as miserable as she is.

[@ryanglaser5336]

​@@GCFDshe will also complain when now owner arrives, and 🌳 trees are chopped down + bug zappers are turned on.

[@gunnargu]

Drinking game: Drink every time he says "Retaining wall" 🤣

[@GCFD]

Hahah, who's drunk yet?

[@michaelc.3812]

No steel in the Crete??

[@GCFD]

Nope. We don't use rebar here in NC.

[@cliffjohnson2273]

where is the rebar at. that is going to crack? the bottom of the post are going to rot in time. even if treated. how much slope, what contractor did not slop the in first away from the house. looks like substandard work. How long before the roots will infiltrate the couplers and crush the pipes. do you have a blue print of where all the pipes that you put into the ground so if something needs repair the homeowner can show it to the next person that has to fix your bad work.

[@GCFD]

Cliff - rebar is not needed in our climate with our subsoils. Weird, huh?

[@Madmoody21]

Again the key is to have the water go over the wall. The topsoil and turf should be overhanging that wall. The retaining wall being higher than the ground it is holding back makes it a hand grenade. Drainage at the base of it is temporary to let small particles fill the voids. Eventually you want it to plug up so completely that the deep earth behind it remains dry. The topsoil and turf or bio binder needs to act like a roof taking the water all the way over the top of the retaining wall. If there is significant spillage the outside base of the retaining wall needs a spillway to take the spill over water away and stop erosion at the base. A retaining wall is not a dam it is the end of a water shedding "roof" that may need its own gutter system to protect its foundation.

[@Mark.Watson]

Nice job!

[@GCFD]

Thank you Mark! - Shawn

[@Mark-hb5zf]

Kinda crazy a house with a backyard that slopes away from the house has drainage problems!

[@GCFD]

For sure! We got them solved though.

[@Dev9586]

Did u pull up the old corrugated?

[@GCFD]

We dug our trench and went through a lot of the corrugated. The trencher shreds it and Lynn was cleaning it all up in a big black bag. We didn't remove anything other than what we trenched through.

[@DaddyBeanDaddyBean]

@@GCFD I wondered what she was picking up. Cool. I don't like burying stuff that doesn't belong in the ground, even if I found it in there in the first place. Well done.

[@billwalter3216]

Didnt anyone use Wire in concrete back then ?

[@GCFD]

We don't use it in our area. No frost line and no bentonite.

[@arlingtonguy54]

Canycom beats wheel barrow every time!

[@GCFD]

👍

[@user-nd3lx1zg9t]

Neighbors ... sometimes you get good ones ... sometimes you get Karens.

[@GCFD]

Karen. Haha

[@ryanglaser5336]

Many other companies are cutting costs on material and simply using corrugated, which doesn't last a day (and requires a much lower skillset to install)

[@marvinfrancisco4812]

neighbor threw a fit when asked to move their car so that their car not get splashed with cement. The neighbor's name is Karen.

[@GCFD]

Hahah yes it is!

[@thomasmorrison3279]

I totally agree that pvc is superior to corrugated pipe, but I wonder if you should just snake out the corrugated pipe to see if it can be cleaned. It may last another 5 years if you clean it out, rather than replacing it.

[@GCFD]

The snake will destroy corrugated. Use a sewer jetter hooked to your pressure washer instead. We do clean-outs for corrugated systems all the time.

[@jonathanlanglois2742]

Quite honestly, that retaining wall might just bee too tall for the material used. I've got a retaining wall made out of farm stones much heavier then those concrete blocks and it has pretty much collapsed. Granted, it has probably been there since the construction of the house, which would make it about 6 decades old. The main cause of its collapse is a leaky terracotta drain pipe which I had to fully replace. I used a corrugated pipe, but then again, I did not know any better at the time. It is still working just fine several years later. I have a second corrugated pipe that is actually buried in the grass. There is enough fall that when it rains, the grass splits open, creating a small geyser several inches high.

[@GCFD]

thanks for sharing Jonathan

[@gangisspawn1]

No one marked the wall for the home owner to monitor the tilt over time? Sheesh Shawn lol

[@GCFD]

He's got pictures instead of marking up the wall. 👍

[@mikehydroseed1282]

They really know what they are doing because they are smart enough to pitch away from the house? Those are some pretty high standards right there. Sorry, I could resist.

[@GCFD]

👍

[@Igor-xl4wz]

So very odd that the neighbor bristled at the thought of having to move the car up a little bit. Who parks at the end of an empty driveway anyways?

[@vacationism]

good job minus the neighbor

[@GCFD]

She continued to interfere with the remodeling and activities at this house. What a sorry person.

[@justforthetv]

At least you cared enough not to get concrete on her car. Oh well, on her lol

[@GCFD]

As contractors we are working on behalf of your customer and are an extension of them in the neighborhood. We always try to be polite and stay out of the way, put up cones, clean up the street, etc. She was pissed that the concrete truck was there for like 2 hours because she zooms in and out all day.

[@DaddyBeanDaddyBean]

@@GCFD I have a neighbor who gets shouting mad when anyone parks on my side of the street, directly across from her driveway. This is legal here, for what it's worth, and happens exactly once a year, when we have a big family picnic. Meanwhile she has a friend who parks on her side, directly across from MY driveway, easily 3-4 times a week year-round. Neighbors are fun.

[@namelast5868]

why you don put ads al time your video 30.27

[@GCFD]

KZbin does that since the channel is monetized.

[@john_linder]

That wall needs geogrid! Those deck steps would need removed to make that happen. Dangerous situation for that wall to be right over a patio. Retaining walls collapse at 45mph and usually offer no warning when they go. I hope no one is under there when it happens.

[@Rusty_Gold85]

I remember one customer had a shared wall house with the telecoms on a small wall divider to the neighbours side . To get to it was by ladder , no fence other wise , wide open to the road , would only take 15 minutes to repair the junction box . Neighbour came out ( a Karen before the nickname became popular ) and tried to bellow at me to get down and go away . Under our communications act we can enter premises anyway . Carried on like a Pork chop ,why was I there, go away etc. . Once you start yelling at me instead of being civil i refuse to be civil or cooperate . Just got on with fixing the box " I will ring your company " . My boss knows me for a long time he isnt going to act

[@GCFD]

I don't know why people act like that...we're trying to get the job done, like anyone else. Let us work!

[@Dust76tr]

“The longer I’m here arguing with you, the less time I’m spending working on the job and the longer I’m going to be here, so if you shut up and go away, I’ll be gone sooner”

[@boborzech3367]

Sidewalk has a dip in it replace walk problem solved

[@GCFD]

You're correct. But that doesn't get rid of the water from the front yard that is higher than the house. 👍

[@DaddyBeanDaddyBean]

Great video. Time-lapse concrete work is fun. Regarding that existing corrugated pipe from the gutter above the wall - was that perforated pipe, pumping gutter water into the ground behind the wall?? Impressively clean inside, at the outfall - no dirt or debris at all. Surprising for corrugated. Also - mini-Bobcat as a precision sculpting tool was awesome. Well done. 😎

[@GCFD]

Thank you! That corrugated pipe was the drainage for the wall so hopefully it's working well. This is one of my favorite videos so far.

[@Dripfed]

Just caught this video. Comment about bad neighbours is very relevant. They can make or break a job. Allowing access or not, staring at everything you do and running out to criticise if you step out of line. Demanding you repair things you haven't damaged. The minute a neighbour is a challenge I video things or photograph things I could damage. Has come in useful when they challenge staff about the wall they damaged etc. Nope, here is a photo saved to Google on day one of the job. It's timestamped on upload so you can't challenge it in court. You also never know what's going on in people's lives so I kill them with kindness and instruct any staff to do same. Take joy in being overly polite to them, it makes them feel like a worm and you're being virtuous. Even had a bad neighbour apologise at the end of a job and ask us to come work for them because they were so impressed. They had memories of previous work done on a neighbouring property that did damage their house and hence they were super defensive and seeming rude. I'm sure you explained the concrete splash possibility in your usual laid back manner... people just have mental baggage they can't drop.

[@RHEC1776]

Why didn't you just hire a pumper.

[@GCFD]

That wasn't enough concrete for a pump truck. Keep in mind you have all that dead concrete in the pipes. A concrete buggy is around $200 for the day and no setup/teardown/clean up. When we have bigger concrete jobs we definitely pump it.

[@michaelc.3812]

Standing water, even in a pipe, is a breeding ground for mosquitoes.....

[@GCFD]

As long as you have detritus the larvae will feed upon it. This is why the adult females bite - they need your protein for their babies.

[@queenmonkeyhead]

Now someone will do a video how not added concrete on the posts . Water damaged for the future. Not smart move.

[@GCFD]

we make sure the concrete slopes away from the posts. 👍

[@mrkeefor]

Why don't the builders tie the guttering into the drainage system when they first built the houses?

[@GCFD]

Because 99% of houses here don't need the gutters tied into anything. You're seeing the worse cases on my channel since I specifically do drainage work with PVC. Most of my customers are having major problems and have already tried corrugated systems. Great question!

[@travelinman70]

I can't place your NC accent....Cary?

[@GCFD]

Cary indeed!

[@WittyScrewdriver]

It makes me cringe watching the slab get poured with no rebar

[@SamCanada1]

👍

[@surebrah]

That concrete job looked sketch. No sub grade, no compaction, no rebar, uncapped pipe, wooden posts buried, just generally sloppy. Who are these guys? Don't they do it for a living?

[@GCFD]

Thanks for sharing. We run the plate compactor of course. Rebar is very rarely used in this part of NC. We do see it on demos occasionally. You saw the demo and this patio didn't have rebar before we replaced it. Been pouring since '78.

[@surebrah]

@@GCFD I'm a fan/subscriber and enjoy your drainage work and videos. Concrete portion, well, I guess I already said my piece.

[@RamonInNZ]

ZGood on Lynne(?) for trying 🙂

[@GCFD]

👍👍