[Illustration]
Foundation gutters catch the water from off the rain-beaten side of the
building, quickly carry it away, and, by preventing “seepage,” keep the
cellar, basement, or ground-floor dry. In sloppy, muddy weather, they
also serve as convenient walks around the out-buildings.
Determine the grading or sloping of the gutter bottom from observation
of direction of the flow of surface water during rain storms, or from
local conditions, such as location of outlet into underground drain.
Excavate a trench 1 foot 6 inches in width, 10 inches deep on each
side, and hollowed out to 13 inches deep in the middle. Use a straight
edge or a grade cord, together with a spirit level, to give the bottom
of the trench the desired slope or “fall.” For each foot of length a
slope of one-eighth inch will be sufficient.
Clean the dirt off the foundation wall with a stiff broom or brush.
In the bottom of the trench place a 6-inch foundation of well-“tamped”
gravel, brickbats or crushed stone.
Make a one-bag batch of concrete in proportions, 1: 2½: 5. Have the
mixture just wet enough to tamp well.
[Illustration]
Place a 4-inch thickness of concrete to form a dish-shaped gutter 3
inches deep in the middle. Every five feet, make an expansion joint ⅛
of an inch wide by inserting a metal strip not less than 7 inches wide
and 18 inches long, or by cutting a joint entirely through the concrete
with a straight spade. Smooth the surface with a wooden float.
[Illustration]
=Materials Required=
One cubic yard crushed rock or screened gravel;
½ cubic yard sand;
6 bags of Portland cement, for a 50-foot section.