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Concrete underground catchment and termites - StillHope - 06-22-2008
Aloha,everyone!
In the other tread Carey mentioned some houses with underground concrete catchment under lanai.
Though the system should be tight ,but I am curious if a huge amount of water eventually will attract a lot of termites.
I talk to JWITZ,he has a catchment under the porch.Glen is something like that.
Any thoughts on the possible termite problems?I would appreciate your input.
RE: Concrete underground catchment and termites - JWFITZ - 06-22-2008
Everything made of wood will attract termites in this climate. Use treated wood, treat it again, and build so things are repairable. Keep areas open and make sure that you can get to all spaces for inspection. That is the key, and keeps crawlies of all sorts at a minimum.
Life in the tropics!
RE: Concrete underground catchment and termites - Rob Tucker - 06-22-2008
I have a different opinion. The best way to deal with termites is to not feed them. Simply stop building with wood. By any measure I can apply, and I'm a master carpenter by background, wood offers the least value for the building dollar and the most problems. The best termite treatments available are relatively ineffective.
Oh. Being under the porch is not the same as underground.
I have clients with concrete catchment tanks built into their foundations. We use concrete forms made of recycled material and cement. There are a number of cost effective methods of building available which do not involve wood. Wood makes nice furniture and poor buildings. The Three LIttle Pigs had a lesson to teach.
RE: Concrete underground catchment and termites - StillHope - 06-22-2008
Thanks,Rob and JWITZ!
When I used the term underground,I should have been more specific.My goal is to save the space.And I don't like swimming pool-like tanks on a small lot.
Rob,I like the idea of the materials we talked about.And if all it takes to use them in my project was my "ruling",I wouldn't use anything else.
But sometimes life rules..Changing the plans and changing the floor plans unfortunally means the same.
Anyway,hopefully,I will get the risk assessment of the well project,but the catchment under the house is something to consider.
So anyone has those "hidden catchments"?
Any cons/pros?
RE: Concrete underground catchment and termites - Rob Tucker - 06-22-2008
Dry space under a roof costs money so if you are going to put a catchment tank under a building I think it is best to use concrete or concrete block. In this manner the catchment catchment tank can do double duty as building foundation.
Another good advantage to concrete tanks are they can be fairly easily built with a divider in the middle resulting in a double tank. A double tank design allows one side to be serviced or cleaned while the other still provides water. No down time.
All tanks need service access. If the house understory is eight feet tall then a tank can be built with a six foot water depth and still have 24" at the top for a side access hatch. If the house is lower then a hatch would likely be needed in the floor above.
Another aspect of concrete tanks is that they are alkaline by nature. Our catchment waters are somewhat acid by nature. So an alkaline tank will, to some degree act to balance the Ph in the supply.
Meanwhile having a yard without a large object in it would seem to be a plus.
Downside of a concrete tank..... they aren't the cheapest.
RE: Concrete underground catchment and termites - StillHope - 06-22-2008
quote:I have a feeling that it would be the same or more than well.The big difference -I will have water and the hole in my pocket.
Originally posted by Rob Tucker
Downside of a concrete tank..... they aren't the cheapest.
With well I might have 2 holes and no water.
But if I do have the water,I might find the neighbor to connect to my well and split the cost.Officially,according to the contractor.
To build or not to build?
The answer is -to buy.
P.S.Thanks,Rob,for all your help and for this forum.if it's not for all help of the nicest folks here I would have been living in the round vinyl structure,looking through my square window on the other round vinyl structure,which looks like my house,but actually is a water supply)):
RE: Concrete underground catchment and termites - JWFITZ - 06-22-2008
At current rates a ferrocement tank can be constructed for very little money if you've got the skills. My 4 x 4 8 foot tank with a slate deck on top, +/- 1000 gallons, cost under 800 dollars including the slate. Pretty cheap for a tank that can be built on site with no truck access, anywhere, and with no more tools than snips, a shovel, and a trowel.
RE: Concrete underground catchment and termites - StillHope - 06-22-2008
quote:JWITZ,if I give up the well idea ,consider yourself hired.
Originally posted by JWFITZ
At current rates a ferrocement tank can be constructed for very little money if you've got the skills. My 4 x 4 8 foot tank with a slate deck on top, +/- 1000 gallons, cost under 800 dollars including the slate. Pretty cheap for a tank that can be built on site with no truck access, anywhere, and with no more tools than snips, a shovel, and a trowel.
But does the job require a bulldozer? $800 sounds good.But is it all the cost for having the "underground" cement tank?
And how about my initial question-termites and that type of tank?
Because if the tank will invite all the neighbor's termites to have a non-stop party,what's good about it?
How you are dealing with yours under the porch,which,I assume,is made of wood ?
Spraying chemicals around my water supply is not an option.
RE: Concrete underground catchment and termites - leilaniguy - 06-22-2008
A neighbor of mine has 2 concrete catchments, both have concrete lids and both have have structures built over them & use the lid as a floor. Somebody told you catchments attract termites?
RE: Concrete underground catchment and termites - JWFITZ - 06-22-2008
Ferrocement is a magic substance, and it's will worth any DIY kind of person to learn the skill. It's used all over the world for most anything as it is far and a way the cheapest building material out there.
The tank can go where ever, and look like whatever. Be creative. Here's a picture of one, very simple but it describes the process and shows what you can do. Scale up or down if you want. If you want your catchment tank to look like a concrete dinosaur peering over the palms, that could be done too. The beauty of the technique for remote sites especially is that no one need carry in anything bigger than a 100 pound sack of concrete, which is great, because you can't get a boom truck in just everywhere, and if you don't want to clear your lot, it's about the only option.
http://aquamor.tripod.com/rainwaterb.htm
You simply cannot believe how strong the material is until you're familiar with it. A 2000 gallon ferrocement tank with have walls 5/8s of a inch thick and feel like plate steel.