The Tale of the Temporary Cement Floor

At the suggestion of our landscaper, we extended the cement floor at our backyard. I thought it was a great idea - it wouldn't be muddy going to the outdoor sink, and there would be a bit more space for other things like a small grill.

Unfortunately, with just a little bit of rain, water started pooling at the newly cemented area. So with the typhoon season now in full swing, we were facing the possibility of our ground floor getting flooded before we even moved in! Our contractor's solution? Create a hole at the bottom of the wall, and have the water drain out to the neighbor's backyard... Unbelievable, but true.

The ones over at Reach Out and Build apparently did not bother to check the house plans, or look around to see if there was a storm drain nearby before constructing the cement floor. The thing is, when I once complained about how badly the carport was built, one of the founders, Sir Buddy, cut me off and told me that he was an expert.

Wouldn't an expert know how things might end up by studying the area? And if he wasn't sure, wouldn't he first consult the blueprints or ask the village management about how the house works? Well, none of that happened. They only decided to physically check and consult the village engineer after I got mad at them.

And that was how we found out that all the houses built by Avida do not have gutters, and none are connected to the village storm drains. The rain from the roof just falls to the ground and the water is not directed elsewhere. It is up to the homeowner to build a drainage system, which according to the village manager, will cost around Php 100,000.

Earl said that he's tired of all the expenses and just wants to move in, so we had the cement floor removed. Though we were warned that it won't make much of a difference as that area is lower than the rest of the property, and with the walls now bordering the house, the water will have nowhere else to go.

So that was a complete waste of time and money - all of which could have been avoided had our contractor been an actual expert. Because if he really knew what to do, he could have recommended that the cement floor would not be a good idea. Or to suggest building the storm drain along with the fence so that the yard won't collect water every time it rains.

Time to buy a submersible pump?