u/Acrobatic_Ad_1520 — reddlx

First-time home buyer here. House was built in 1936. I focused hard on structure when buying, and overall the bones are really solid—just cosmetic stuff needed.

I’m in Iowa near a river, so the soil is great up top but turns into clay as you go down.

The issue:

I was told water had gotten into the basement through the garage before. The garage is under the house in the back, and the driveway slopes down into it (negative grade). On both sides of the driveway are original concrete retaining walls… and yeah, they’re definitely showing their age.

The house sat empty for a while before I bought it, so a ton of leaves/dirt built up at the garage door and was actually getting pushed inside. After cleaning everything out, I found two drains in the garage floor:

One seems to handle runoff and works pretty well after I snaked it

The other I’m pretty sure ties into the sewer (strong sewer smell when snaking it)

I did get a sewer scope before buying, and the main sewer line itself is in great shape.

After the last couple big storms, I finally figured out where the water + dirt is really coming from — the retaining walls are failing and letting everything wash down toward the garage.

Plan so far:

Replacing both retaining walls this summer

Friend (does concrete) will demo them

GC will check that the porch stays supported when they come out (footings are ~3 ft away from the wall)

Where I need advice:

Best type of retaining wall for this situation (DIY-friendly)

What kind of drainage system I should be adding behind/in front of the wall. Was gonna go with a French currently but advice is welcomed.

Whether something like railroad ties is a terrible idea here (I was considering it, but I know they don’t last forever and sealing against a brick house seems questionable)

At some point the plan is sump pump and channel drain.

Money is tight, so I’m trying to DIY as much as possible—but I also don’t want to do this twice.

I’ll attach photos—any input is appreciated.

I am aware of cosmetic stuff in photos. But I gotta fix the water and dirt coming in first.

First-time home buyer here. House was built in 1936. I focused hard on structure when buying, and overall the bones are really solid—just cosmetic stuff needed.

The issue:

I was told water had gotten into the basement through the garage before. The garage is under the house in the back, and the driveway slopes down into it (negative grade). On both sides of the driveway are original concrete retaining walls… and yeah, they’re definitely showing their age.

The house sat empty for a while before I bought it, so a ton of leaves/dirt built up at the garage door and was actually getting pushed inside. After cleaning everything out, I found two drains in the garage floor:

One seems to handle runoff and works pretty well after I snaked it

The other I’m pretty sure ties into the sewer (strong sewer smell when snaking it)

I did get a sewer scope before buying, and the main sewer line itself is in great shape.

After the last couple big storms, I finally figured out where the water + dirt is really coming from — the retaining walls are failing and letting everything wash down toward the garage.