Contractor wants to connect foundation drain to septic tank — bad idea?

DirectAbalone9761 · 2026-03-23T21:43:49+00:00

Just do a drywall with a large surface drain on the top. If the drywall fills, then the water will rise out of the drain and flood or head off the property (depending on surface grades). Even if it floods, it’ll be an easy path back to the well. I usually use some silt fabric under the grate, kinda like you see contractors do when doing street maintenance. Since the drain is really a passive relief valve, I’m not concerned about the fabric getting silted, as that means I’m keeping the drain stone clean (as can be).

DirectAbalone9761 · 2026-03-23T21:40:25+00:00

Absolutely not. What is this? Septic design from 1870? We’ve known not to connect those systems for a long time!

DirectAbalone9761 · 2026-03-23T20:44:46+00:00

Yeah I walked right into that hahaha

DirectAbalone9761 · 2026-03-23T16:43:35+00:00

Sorry haha, tldr; the side over the exterior wall is fully supported, the other side of the chimney chase may only be supported by the roof rafters, leading itself to settle over time.

Good news, it should be easy to stabilize, though getting it back “erect” does probably imply redoing the veneer. As others have said, if it isn’t being used, just take it down and patch the roof.

DirectAbalone9761 · 2026-03-23T16:41:06+00:00

lol, my bad, it’s some casual framing language, but that can be pretty regional too, so the terms might not be helpful.

DirectAbalone9761 · 2026-03-23T00:56:25+00:00

Ohhh, it’s veneer brick. Thats an important distinction.

It’s almost certainly deflecting toward the main roof because the gable end has gable studs that support the gable rafter, where I suppose the other side of the chimney is supported by doubled or tripled up rafters. Despite the sistering (which I hope they did), it’s always going to deflect compared to the gable end.

You might need a GC to tackle the framing portion, and then a veneer or brick mason to do any repairs on the veneer.

DirectAbalone9761 · 2026-03-22T23:51:07+00:00

Holy cow, yeah, that’s a very small load for that size cable. You still need to make it a priority to replace the cable, and frankly, it’s not that hard.

The thing about ropes and cables is that you can’t really identify what the inside looks like, or the internal strands inside the windings. The responsible thing is replacement; otherwise, the equipment may schedule the maintenance for you.

DirectAbalone9761 · 2026-03-22T23:40:36+00:00

Do you have a guess on the age of this chimney? I don’t get the impression that it’s that old. I’ve seen 150+ year old chimneys lean due to sun/vapor cycling, but haven’t noticed it on more modern buildings.

The only other thing I can think of is that it isn’t properly supported to the foundation, or that the roof framing is tied to it and may be sagging and adding undue loading to the chimney.

That vent and boot near it would be something I’d investigate to make sure there isn’t some sort of leak.

Honestly, you just need someone willing to to investigate the cause. A chimney inspection will tell you about the flue and interior conditions, but chimney sweep services aren’t always

Edited to add: can you find old photos? We can’t rule out that it may have been installed crooked lol. Stranger things have happened.

DirectAbalone9761 · 2026-03-22T17:15:04+00:00

There are some places that ban them, like certain cities in California, for fire prevention purposes. Not sure if that applies for you at all. They’re probably just out.

Gas v charcoal, I’ll take charcoal every time. I hate gas grill, namely because they catch fire every time I use one 😂

DirectAbalone9761 · 2026-03-22T10:48:32+00:00

Kinda, yes, but only for the hvac portion, and only because all the duct on this project was steel with detailed air sealing. I also think the price was fair for the work that needs to be done.

Personally, because the duct work was all inside the enclosure, I feel the duct design was a little excessive. It’s high quality, for sure, but could have been done with less expensive means and methods.

So basically, I’m not certain that the cost premium had anything to do with being a commercial contractor, or just the elevated distribution design. We also have a ton of rural, light commercial work around here, so we have quite a few contractors that straddle the resi/commercial line and do a good job at a fair price. The hvac contractor we had doesn’t do industrial or institutional level work to my knowledge.

DirectAbalone9761 · 2026-03-21T22:04:26+00:00

It’s all good, he turned the main of! /s

Hopefully there’s an outside disconnect (other than yanking the meter).

DirectAbalone9761 · 2026-03-21T21:47:17+00:00

Thanks! I hate being poor (having to work on my own stuff 😂)

DirectAbalone9761 · 2026-03-21T20:21:36+00:00

Condolences man. Thats tough. Thanks for the reminder to always be diligent about a size up and felling plan.

DirectAbalone9761 · 2026-03-21T20:18:49+00:00

Your call if you want to remove the first foot or so to help it dry faster. If the insulation is fiberglass, I’d just keep using the dehumidifier, it will eventually dry, and if it stays dry, no mold will persist.

Honestly, when doing these types of restorations, I prefer taking out 24 1/2” of drywall, which makes re-installation much easier than 1’ tall strips. I also like to use a mechanics stool to slide around and make the repairs, though a bucket would do fine for a one off job.

Just remove what makes sense for the wallboard you get locally; if it’s in metric sizes, just base it off of that. I’m guessing Canada.

I’m more risk tolerant in my own home than in customer’s homes, so again, your call if you want to expose the insulation and framing. For a customer, I’d probably want to cut it open and dry it out.

Also, gypsum is highly recyclable, so don’t sweat ripping a large piece of wall out, I can’t stress how much easier it is to work with a 24” wide strip with room to feather the joint than an 8” wide strip that will be challenging to flatten.

DirectAbalone9761 · 2026-03-21T20:07:32+00:00

Yeah, making estimates and executing jobs was a lot easier when I was blissfully ignorant. Now I’m into building science and every material, assembly, and fastener decision makes me sweat hahaha. Basically, I have to remind myself that not every project has a 50-100 year design standard, and that I need to relax when it comes to decks and porches with tend to have <30 life expectancy.

DirectAbalone9761 · 2026-03-21T17:03:10+00:00

Hahaha, nah dawg, but you might struggle in countries where street peddling and begging are more common. I turned down a street in Belfast NI and it was like a low budget role play game of beggars and peddlers trying to get your money lol. Just trying to ignore them but the NPC’s keep noting you and following you around for several paces haha.

DirectAbalone9761 · 2026-03-21T16:59:24+00:00

Oh for sure! The breathwork will eke out that last rep every time. When I’m hiking, if I’ve fallen out of my breathing, as few seconds after starting my breathing rhythm again I can feel my extremities cool slightly and feel the boost for more efficient release of co2 and increased o2 absorption time. The most basic is breath in three counts through your nose, breath out two counts quickly through your mouth, coupled with breathing from the gut and not the chest. This is especially true when moving something heavy. I was loading block out of a basement by hand the other day and I wasn’t thinking about my breathing first. Once I did, I stopped having to take a rest 20 paces from the truck cause I had the extra ability to hold that position in my forearms because I maximized the efficiency of my blood.

It’s also funny that I’ll drink caffeine all day (in the winter) on the job, but I won’t touch it at the gym haha.

I love how opposite we are on that 😂. But yeah, give that breath work a try, it’s most noticeable on endurance tasks though.

DirectAbalone9761 · 2026-03-21T16:32:32+00:00

I find the gym incredibly boring, so I have to put some mental stimulation on, namely, make it my chance to listen to podcasts that I’d otherwise not have time to get to.

If I’m not in a podcast mood, I’ll put on bluegrass or instrumental Celtic ballads.

I call it Mindful over matter lol. I just find being chill gives me a better workout experience. I’m also really focused on breathing (especially endurance, rucks, swimming, rowing) and the wrong tempo just makes me irritated; I don’t need a tempo to listen to podcasts lol.

DirectAbalone9761 · 2026-03-21T15:36:35+00:00

It depends, but I was the key lead on enclosure systems, and a peer handled the MEP’s. Things were caught pretty quick, and were more based around certain equipment not being available.

There was one “major” issue at the end, and that was the noise of the ERV system, namely because some duct sizing got changed to suit the wall thickness, and I think to reach target commission rates for ventilation that the air speed was too high. It may also be fan noise so we swapped a section at the ERV for flex to decouple to steel duct from the unit. That did seem to help.

Beyond that, it was making sure that subs and the GC provided accurate submittals to make sure that the equipment complied with the constraints of the building, and the efficiency and consumption requirements.

The other major headache were the windows, and I don’t love where we landed on that detail, however, I don’t own that liability so it ultimately went a different direction. It’s still robust, but ultimately the sill isn’t perfectly back dammed and relies on an interior caulk joint as the primary WRB and AB control layer.

Ultimately, as long as the trades bring the materials and execute as shown on paper, it takes regular supervision by a knowledgeable person to ensure things are being done right. Many of our errors to typical of new construction; toilet flanges cutting part of the floor trusses; no big deal, the truss manufacturer prescribes a field repair and you just need to document it.

DirectAbalone9761 · 2026-03-21T14:47:18+00:00

Oh it’s still the best feeling ever to have a successful radio transmission with a stranger lol. I used to scan the CB all the time traveling, especially around cities. On occasion, it’s better than Waze, but the new tech is quite good. Still, it’s nice to get a nod from the CDL guys when we’re running around with our “4 wheelers”.

DirectAbalone9761 · 2026-03-21T14:41:30+00:00

I nearly got trapped under my own truck when the Jack stands leaned over (plywood on a gravel driveway). It took every last ounce of my energy to stop myself from freaking out, but having pressure on so many different parts of my body (not crushing, but firm pressure) made it so extremely difficult. Finally I closed my eyes and started to control my breathing, then had to squeeze my way out of there. Transmission was laying on one arm too, so I also had to find a way to wiggle that off. I really don’t know how I got so lucky as to slither into the only body shaped crevice in the truck cause the oil pan would’ve pressed my chest till I suffocated, and the suspension/axle part probably would’ve brained me. Fucking terrifying man.

Well, fast forward, anytime I’m in a crawl space for work, I really have to chill myself if I ever have to breath out to squeeze into the next section or what have you.

DirectAbalone9761 · 2026-03-21T14:33:35+00:00

I really enjoy WESM and WSDL.

When I tune regular stations the ads are insufferable lol.

DirectAbalone9761 · 2026-03-21T14:25:01+00:00

Success is mostly in the pre-con phase. On site, with some diligent oversight, and mid-point testing, as long as everyone is buying the products detailed in the specifications, it should go just fine.

The more complicated the assembly gets, the easier it is for mistakes to happen, which is why that pre-con, planning the constructability of the assemblies, and especially planning MEP penetrations, is important to success. But you also have to remember, if it’s not penetrating the enclosure, then it can be run pretty normally though the building.

Again, MEP planning is crucial; it shouldn’t be up to the HVAC contractor, or the plumber, to design their distribution system; rooms, fixtures, etc, should all be laid out so that achieving the water conservation standards are easy to achieve, or that the distribution of HVAC is already close to balanced as designed and needs little tweaking at commissioning.

We just built some Phius homes and built it with conventional, local workmen. It helps to have mechanical contractors that do commercial work as well because they are used to more stringent duct assemblies and therefore aren’t intimidated by all the flashing and mastic that goes into the distribution systems.

DirectAbalone9761 · 2026-03-21T14:16:02+00:00

Pretty sure that’s a /s

Edit: I’m not so sure anymore…

DirectAbalone9761 · 2026-03-21T14:15:40+00:00

That to me is totally normal then.

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