if it looks that bad, maybe shim it. putting texture on the ceiling will hide most of the imperfections though.

He capped all the things, I just think the toilet cap is not totally sealed. I taped a piece of thick plastic sheeting over it and then put something flat and heavy over that. The smell is gone. So that tells me the cap wasn’t seated all the way down or something.

It’s meant to be reversible some day. Are you supposed to use a sealant with a cap like this?

https://www.homedepot.com/p/JONES-STEPHENS-4-in-Flexible-PVC-Standard-Test-Cap-for-Cast-Iron-and-Plastic-Pipe-T32004/313584682

I mean it’s more the gigantic immovable hill that’s creating the problem, not the design of the house

I thought the same. Then I looked closely at the first picture, and it appears they are trying to get it to drain towards the lower area in the distance.

All the dirt and clay may have gone into the drainage system, mucking it up.

You might have shot yourself in the foot, amigo.

We live in California in the Central Valley where it is generally flat. Our soil is sandy and drains very well.

We don't have rain gutters on the house. We have a metal roof.

I left an empty trashcan in the driveway, happened to have it under the eave of the roof.

After a day of rain, the plastic trash can had 24" of water in it. It all makes total sense when you think about it, that the rain that falls on the roof has to go somewhere. None the less, I was amazed.

So, here are my thoughts on your problem...

The steep driveway is draining into the corrugated pipe covered with stones. It follows the walkway, then the planting bed in front of the house, and towards the lower area in the distance in the first picture.

Not exactly sure where you are, you say NW Georgia. Chattanooga is close. The annual rainfall in Chattanooga is 55 inches. I'll assume your driveway is 20 ft. by 30 ft. That means that, over a year, you have 2,750 cubic feet of water flowing through that drain. That is 20,570 gallons a year, on average. That is a lot of water. I'm not a specialist in this area (drainage), but you Need to become one, or find a very good one locally.

What I read into your description makes me think that you may not have appreciated the magnitude of your problem that they previous owners were faced with when they installed this system.

PS: I have not even mentioned all the water coming off the roof via the downspout.

You've got some good advice in this forum.

Sorry all I can do is put some numbers on the magnitude of the problem.

Step one: send me that Miata.

Using a sawzall is probably your best bet, certainly the fastest way to knock it out. If you want to actually remove the posts you need to get a hose and soak the area around the post (water the post like a thirsty plant). once it gets really wet use a post puller (you can pick one up for $30-40) and a lot of muscle. Honestly I removed the chain link fence at my building and my neighbors and I pilled out probably a dozen posts with the concrete and then I just flush cut the posts and a few years later you can't really tell the difference.

What a Great suggestion!..... Snowmobile safety supply places (some sporting goods stores) also sell wire saw coiled up in a length that would probably work too and they have loops/circle ⭕ that your finger goes into meant to cut small branches or saplings I guess, lol

Idk what the equivalent is but here in the US drylok is a popular paint for cement walls. Painting the walls and floor (I actually recommend gray since it wont mark up as easily) and new led lights to really brighten the entire space will go very far.

That’s what I like to hear!

You should get a structural engineer to approve this, not some random internet users.

I used caulk I found at Home Depot that is used for concrete. I tucked backer rod behind the crack. I’ve had no problems for 4 years

That’s what I was thinking. Just hitting the areas with some good caulking. What’s a good preference for caulking?

I am very thankful not all of my yard is made out of red clay and only some.

I almost wonder if it would be worth just extending the mulch bed to take over this trench while keeping the rocks there and covering them in fabric.

What's better? Just doing it yourself?

Hey yeah let me try to explain!

So the trench here is simply rocks and a corrugate pipe, but the pipe is cut horizontally so it's basically just a "u" shaped pipe.

The rocks lead to that box drain and don't go into it unless there's enough force pushing it because 1. It pools at the beginning and 2. I think the trench may be lower than the box drain.

Budget?

Im planning similar and i think shelving that wall is gonna be a. Cheaper and b. Usefuller.

Then put in a fake ceiling with downlights, a sonos sound system, get yourself a big toolbox and some mazda flags.

Sorted

Caulk between the slab & the house. The expansion joint may not be in the best condition

Nice! Thanks for those tips. I was going to do a perimeter check. My basement is about 5’ below grade. And the exterior side of where I have the crack is a concrete slab.

If you are trying to cut at grade then a band saw.

If you want to yank it out buy a pull jack and get a post puller. Attack pull jack to post puller and crank. It’ll come out.

If the footer is deep or adhered to concrete sidewalk etc you may have to jack hammer it.

Also you can attach it to a truck hitch with a chain and pull.

I worked in the fence industry for a few years mostly doing repairs. We’ve pulled up 6” steel posts with 300 lbs slugs with a pullback and a post puller before.

No problem, just remember to be careful and always double check the wiring. Be safe.

Even if sections fail, they'll be very easy to remove. Once you get part of it out. The hole will have voids and pieces will just fall in.

If the one wall is your neighbours’s, are you allowed to do anything to it?