Rock(s) in garage

[Eguy]

has anyone heard of rocks in their basement? foundation?
my wife and I were house-hunting and we saw an otherwise good home for us if not for this protruding matter. this rock is 1 1/2 ft in height and app. 4 feet wide. water is seeping out of it and the seepage runs down the garage floor. we are in New England if that helps.
anyone seen anything like this? any possible solution?
the realtor suggest we hire a contractor to excavate the rock and smooth out the garage floor.
appreciate any suggestions.

thank you.

EGuy

[HayZee518]

I have a house that is built on a rock foundation. I have these rocks in my basement. My whole area is ledge and rock. My basement floor is dirt. I get some seepage during the thaws but that's taken care of by a sump pump. If you're adventurous and have a lot of time drill a series of holes in it and use a chisel to make it flat. Wear safety goggles and gloves. Don't try whanging at it with a sledgehammer. The hammer will come right back to you with as much force as you whacked it with.

[mrcaptainbob]

Wow! Now there's a story that needs telling! Lots of questions on that. Why did the previous people not have that rock removed before the garage was built? Was that garage at all useable? That may be a caveat to affect purchase offer. Sounds like a lot of problems if there's water forcing it's way up. I'd need some assurances that there isn't a hidden problem(s) besides just that rock/boulder. BTW, is the garage floor dirt?

[LazyPup]

The problem of surface bedrock is quite common in New England.

In West Springfield, Massachuesetts there is an air handler machinery room under the main gymnasium that is about 60 x 60 ft. The west wall of that room is solid bedrock that protrudes over half way across the room, with a continual slope from the ceiling at the wall at about a 45 deg angle to the middle of the room.

According to the original building specifications they had applied for a blasting permit to remove that rock, but the county engineering department declined the permit because it was feared blasting would disturb the adjacent rock, thus compromising the foundation of the remaining building and potentially disturbing the surface aquafer which would result in serious foundation leaks.

To resolve the problem the Air Handler, which is 12 x 12 x 30ft, had to be redesigned to fit around the rock.

[HayZee518]

lazypup - where in w springfield? I'm somewhat familiar with the area having lived in Holyoke for a bit. Did you know the Ingleside Shopping complex was built on top of a garbage landfill?

[LazyPup]

I most certainly do know the mall is on the old landfill, if you look in the parking lot on the south side you will see a huge metal expasion plate because the ground is still unstable. There are also numerous sanitary vents in the parking area to vent methane from the subsoil.

During the 80's i lived in Westfield and worked as a maintenance craftsman for the westside school dept. That is how I know about the bedrock issue under the high school gym.

I also worked as 2nd engineer at the Quality Inn conference Center in Chicopee, (The old Shine Inn at Mass pike Exit 5 & I-291)

[HayZee518]

This thread seems like an old folks re-union! LOL! Those vent pipes are still there! I worked part time at the Holiday Inn doing maintenance and fixin the TVs. I also had the job of keeping the pool chemistry right. I had to replace the main pool heater. One of the day guys left the inlet valve closed and the exchanger burned up - no flow switch to the primary burner control. I put one in!