Drainage & French Drains in Collingswood, NJ
Borough of Collingswood, Camden County. Family-owned, licensed and insured, and self-performing every stage of the work since 1979.
We fix wet basements and soggy yards in the Borough of Collingswood, where pre-war twins and foursquares sit eight or ten feet apart and roof water from two houses lands in the same strip. We collect that water, carry it forward or back to a legal outlet, and work by hand where gates and narrow yards rule out machines.
Free written estimates. Licensed and insured. Every site is quoted individually.
Free estimate in Collingswood, NJ
Two roofs, one narrow strip
Collingswood is a dense pre-war borough: twins, foursquares and rowhome-style houses from the 1910s through the 1940s on narrow lots. With eight or ten feet between buildings, rain from two roofs falls into the same gap. That strip of ground can't absorb it, and the nearest basement wall is right there.
The ground slopes generally toward the Cooper River, so water wants to move. The trouble is that it moves between tightly spaced houses and finds a foundation on the way.
Basements built to be dry-ish
Foundations here are stone, block or early poured concrete, and basements were built to be dry-ish rather than dry. They tolerate a little moisture but not a steady supply of roof water against the wall. Keeping water away from the foundation does more for these basements than anything applied to the inside.
Forward to the street, or back
On a narrow lot there's nowhere to push water sideways. It has to go forward toward the street or back toward the rear of the property. Where we route it depends on the grade, where the downspouts are, and what outlet the borough allows. We plan the route before anything is dug.
Downspouts first
Most Collingswood drainage problems start at the gutters. Downspouts emptying into the side gap, or into old leaders that broke underground long ago, deliver a roof's worth of water straight to the foundation. Replacing them with solid pipe carried to the outlet is the first and often most effective step.
Narrow French drains
When water still collects in the side gap or moves toward the wall below grade, a narrow French drain intercepts it: fabric-lined trench, clean stone and perforated pipe at a continuous fall. In these tight spaces we keep the trench shallow enough to stay clear of old footings and dig by hand alongside the foundation.
Gated yards and hand work
Small rear yards in Collingswood are often reachable only through a gate or a shared drive. Full-size equipment usually won't fit. We bring compact machines where they can pass and dig by hand where they can't, carrying stone and spoil in and out without damaging neighboring property.
Working with your neighbor
On twins and closely spaced houses, the side gap is often shared, and water from your neighbor's roof may be part of your problem. When the best fix serves both properties, we're glad to talk with both owners. We never solve one basement by sending water into the next.
Stoops, walks and the streetscape
Front steps, walks and small concrete stoops from the same era crack and settle, and many now pitch toward the house. When a drainage line crosses one, or the walk itself is part of the problem, we self-perform the concrete work and match the established streetscape.
Regrading the gap
Over the decades, soil, gravel and pavers build up in the side gap until it slopes toward one house or holds water in the middle. We regrade it to fall away from both foundations and toward the outlet, compacting fill so it holds.
Under borough pavement
If a drainage connection reaches the street, it means opening borough pavement, which is regulated and inspected. Utility congestion under Collingswood's older streets is heavy, so we have everything marked and locate private lines before digging. The borough's own Water/Sewer Department serves the town.
Maintenance on a narrow lot
Tight drainage systems need a little attention to keep working. We add a cleanout where the line leaves the side gap so it can be flushed if leaves or silt get in, and we show you the outlet so it doesn't get buried by pavers or mulch. Gutters are the other half: on closely spaced houses, a clogged gutter dumps roof water straight into the gap the drain was built to protect. A quick look after the first few storms tells you the system is doing its job.
Rear additions and enclosed porches
Many Collingswood houses have a rear kitchen addition or an enclosed back porch built decades after the main house, often on shallow footings and sometimes with a roof that drains straight into the narrow space beside it. Those junctions between old and new construction are a common entry point for water. We pay close attention to where the addition meets the original foundation, direct its roof water into the same collection system, and dig by hand beside shallow footings so nothing is undermined.
Ground water or sewer?
Damp walls after rain are a drainage problem. Sewage at a floor drain is a sewer problem — and with clay laterals and galvanized water services common in the borough, both lines may be due for attention.
Sewage backing up right now? Call (856) 488-2227 — 24/7 emergency service.
Emergency sewer repair in Collingswood ↗
Collingswood questions, answered.
That gap usually collects roof water from two houses with nowhere to drain. Piping downspouts away and regrading the gap typically helps a great deal.
Yes. We use compact equipment where it fits and dig by hand where it doesn't.
Forward to the street or back to the rear, depending on grade and what the borough allows. Never into the neighbor's side.
Often, on twins and closely spaced houses. We're glad to talk with both owners about a shared fix.
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Drainage & French Drains — Collingswood, NJ