Stoop Entry Awning?
When we bought our house the first thing we did was remove the tacky vinyl awning that had been installed above the garden level entry. Six months later we find ourselves trying to figure out how to keep rain from flooding the under stoop vestibule. What do other people do? We are at the point…
When we bought our house the first thing we did was remove the tacky vinyl awning that had been installed above the garden level entry. Six months later we find ourselves trying to figure out how to keep rain from flooding the under stoop vestibule. What do other people do? We are at the point where we are considering a glass awning of some type but are fearful of it looking tacky. Most Brownstones do not have awnings, so we must be missing something. Please help!
You need a drain absolutely, awning or no awning. Besides a glass awning would cost more than putting in a drain there.
It’s not a disaster and it’s not impossible. Most houses have a drywell drain in that front vestibule, that does not connect to the sewer. Whomever does the work will just bust through the concrete in the vestibule and dig a well, line it with bricks, then recover with concrete. No biggie. Call a yard contractor, they do drywells all the time.
You know what? I bet anything you have a drywell under there already. Somebody put concrete over it at some point. Tell the yard contractor who does the work to first look for an existing drywell when he busts into the concrete. Good luck!
How exactly does the water reach where it is causing concern? Do you have the stoop caulked and sealed? This should prevent water entering from above. Is the water flowing in or being blown in from the concrete pad outside the ground entrance? Again, could it be that the rainwater is penetrating your uphill neighbor’s walkway and then seeping through the base of your stoop? Putting in a drain will protect your house (and foundation) but you need to stifle that in-flow which will continue to undermine the stoop and vestibule.
Thanks– we have the “lip” on the top step, but itisn’t enough–looks like we will have to price out a drain.
Has anyone seen an attractive awning over a garden level entry?
I really think you need to have a drain otherwise the water has nowhere to go except, most likely, into your home. If it doesn’t flood then excess water is still seeping into the foundation. My house already had a drain in the foyer area but after the base of the steps flooded several times I had it moved outside (and a “lip” of cement about an inch high built as a barrier between foyer and base of steps). It really works great. It’s worth the money to have it done (I can’t remember exactly what I paid, but I was having the foyer recemented anyway). You won’t have to worry about what’s happening to your house when it’s pouring rain outside and you’re stuck at work unable to bail. If I could go back and do it again I’d have a drain outside AND in the foyer. Hope this helps!
It is an iron gate,and there is no drain….sounds like the worst case scenario, right?
Do you have a proper exterior door or an iron gate leading to the under-the-stoop area and is there a drain?