Neighboring Pond an Issue??

[Larry1970]

(This is definitely not a litigious post. The next door neighbor who put in a h-u-g-e pond, is now deceased, and I am genuinely just wanting information).
Background:
I live in a pier & beam wooden home built in the 40's (I'm guessing), in SE Texas. The house was moved to its current location in the 60's, with a couple who initially lived here for 7-8 years; the next owners were here 20 years; and we are the 3rd owners at this location, for 20 years to present. It was originally a 2 bed/1 bath, w/around 1400/1500 sq ft; over the years a bedroom was added, a 2nd bath, new dining room/den, back porch/washroom closed in, to where we are now at 2467 sq ft.
Issues:
The neighbor's pond was dug about 10 years ago, about 100 ft from our home. In the 1st 10 years we lived next door, we had no water issues....i.e., water standing under the house, damp & soggy most of the time, etc., etc. BUT, in the 10 years since the pond has been dug, every floor in our house is in various stages of rot. As we can afford it, a large bedroom closet, an office, and the hallway, have had to be torn out, and new sub-floor and flooring replaced. The estimate for the remainder of the house to be done is $40,000 to $60,000. ( And as a sidenote, being retired on a fixed income, this has been, and will be, devastating financially.)
Question:
In all seriousness, do you think this pond has somehow affected the ground water level so drastically, that we are bearing the brunt of the effects of a pond next door??

 

[JRS]

Welcome to the forum.

Hard to say anything for sure from afar and with no expertise. I can speculate and guess it would depend on your soil conditions, topography and how the pond was constructed. My first thought is to dig a trench between your house and the pond and see if it is wet when it shouldn't be. I am not sure how it would be, unless you have a high water table or impermeable soil and are down slope.

With that amount of damage you might want to consult a local engineer familiar with your conditions to figure out the cause.
Or your local Dept. of Natural resources, extension agent, or University might be able to provide some free advice on local soil and water conditions to give you some insight on if it is even remotely possible.

 

[Larry1970]

Thank you SO MUCH, JRS. A-n-y advice is certainly appreciated.

 

[j.w]

@Larry1970
What kind of a pond is this? Does it have a rubber liner in it containing the water or is it a dug pond that fills naturally w/water? If it's a rubber liner and the water is staying in the pond w/no leaks I would then think the pond is not the issue. Even if it leaked I would think If it's a dug out pond w/just soil or clay made then perhaps there could be an issue if this pond is super large and overflows a lot and you are downhill from it.

 

[GBBUDD]

As already asked what type of pond is it is it concrete, A liner pond or is it a clay pond. Only the clay pond would be of concern in being a suspect in your damage. However the topography is also key is the soils clay , rock, sand?
iS YOUR HOME ON A FULL FOUNDATION ? A SLAB ? OR A CRAWL SPACE? OR EVEN A MUD SILL?

WHERE ARE YOU ?

was a vapor barrior placed under your slab/ crawl space or mud sill?
There are many many causes for rot/ including not WATER called dry rot which is from lack of ventilation

 

[Larry1970]

View attachment 156014@Larry1970
What kind of a pond is this? Does it have a rubber liner in it containing the water or is it a dug pond that fills naturally w/water? If it's a rubber liner and the water is staying in the pond w/no leaks I would then think the pond is not the issue. Even if it leaked I would think If it's a dug out pond w/just soil or clay made then perhaps there could be an issue if this pond is super large and overflows a lot and you are downhill from it.

There was no liner. We wtached it being dug back then. It also has 2 overflow pipes that drain into the county drainage ditch, so it doesn't appear it would be that. Good thought though.

 

[Larry1970]

As already asked what type of pond is it is it concrete, A liner pond or is it a clay pond. Only the clay pond would be of concern in being a suspect in your damage. However the topography is also key is the soils clay , rock, sand?
iS YOUR HOME ON A FULL FOUNDATION ? A SLAB ? OR A CRAWL SPACE? OR EVEN A MUD SILL?

WHERE ARE YOU ?

was a vapor barrior placed under your slab/ crawl space or mud sill?
There are many many causes for rot/ including not WATER called dry rot which is from lack of ventilation

The pond has no liner, and was simply dug out of the dirt. I don't know what kind of soil, i.e., clay, etc. Our house is up on blocks over dirt. It is open on all sides, so we always assumed we had plenty of ventilation. Given the house was built in the 40's or 50's (we think), it had no vapor barrier. Regarding the 2-3 rooms we have had to re-do thus far, the contractor put down a layor of felt first. It looked like the felt one sees on roofs when you have your roof re-done. We don't "think" (?) it has been dry rot, as the ground under the house is always wet/damp nowadays. We never had that issue during the 1st 10 years here, just the 2nd 10 years after the pond was built. Thank you for your input/thoughts.

 

[addy1]

Does the pond sink low all of the time or does it hold a steady level?

 

[GBBUDD]

If you take a house of good size like your 2000 sf and place it on a block high or two. The ventilation will not be sufficient especially I n a damp area. And you will get what is referred to as dry rot. Dry rot is when moisture is trapped in a area and has no where to go . The result is the wood gets condensation. Usually in very small amounts but over time it is enough to break down the wood. A perfect area to grow mushrooms. A vapor barrier is a must roofing felt would not be my first choice but much better than nothing.

As far as did the neighbor create this it is possible they didn't help your situation. But generally anywhere an earthen pond can be built without additives to hold the water is already a Pour draining area.

 

[Lisak1]

It would seem that the pond would help with excess water, rather than hurt, especially if it holds water without a liner. Had you said liner pond I might have suspected that they had someone changed the flow of the water between the yards, or stopped water from draining off your property that formally drained without issue. And that might still be the case, especially if they change the elevation on their side of the lot line.

I would suggest getting someone to look at it who understands water flow in the landscape. You would be better served to resolve the issue before you continue to fix the damage I would imagine.

 

[Larry1970]

Does the pond sink low all of the time or does it hold a steady level?

It holds at a steady level all the time, with rainy/storm overflow directed to two large county drainage ditches. During a really bad strom, the drainage ditches cannot hold the rush of water, and it will overflow, but that only happens in the worst of storms.

 

[GBBUDD]

pictures are needed for a better evaluation

 

[Beercan31]

two thing you can count on is that the "ground" will always move.
nothing lasts for ever.

for timbers that old the damage could have been started long a go

Do you have a shallow well?
if yes what is the water level in it? its not a sure sign but is a beginning to figure out ground water level.

do you have a lot of shrubbery, trees, brush? these items unchecked will grow and affect circulation around a building.

moisture, mold, mildew, algae, moss are your enemy and will start the rot process.

was the rot on the sunny side of the building? or the side that see little light?

The only way I can think of knowing if the pond is directly connected the you problem would to do "core samples" way to expensive.