The river and lake shape basement conditions here. Speedwell Lake is held back by a dam on the Whippany, and the lake and nearby land reach as appendages of the Town boundary into Morris Township. Houses on the lower streets toward the water sit nearer the water table, and long rainy stretches can keep their soil wet for days. Houses on the slopes above Speedwell Avenue face the opposite problem: rain running downhill across lawns and driveways, then collecting against the uphill wall. Both are common in this part of town, sometimes on the same block.
Housing near Speedwell ranges from nineteenth century homes connected to the old ironworks village to mid twentieth century houses and newer infill. That mix matters for the repair. Older stone and brick walls usually need repointing and drainage, block walls from the postwar years leak through their hollow cores and at the floor joint, and poured walls with a single leaking crack can often be injected from inside. A contractor should identify the foundation type at the first visit, since the right fix for one is the wrong fix for another.
Speedwell Avenue is a busy road, and many lots along it are shallow with driveways that slope down from the street. Runoff from the pavement can follow the driveway straight to the garage or basement door. A trench drain across the driveway, regrading, and properly sized leaders often help before anything inside is touched. Where groundwater is the issue, ask about an interior drain, a sump with a battery backup, and a discharge route that stays on your property and away from the neighbor downhill.
Worth knowing in Speedwell Village
Speedwell Ironworks, at 333 Speedwell Avenue, sits at a natural gorge of the Whippany River just north of downtown Morristown.
en.wikipedia.orgThe first public demonstration of the Morse electromagnetic telegraph took place at Speedwell on January 11, 1838.
en.wikipedia.orgSpeedwell Lake and Burnham Pond extend as appendages of the Town boundary into Morris Township, and the Speedwell Lake dam was photographed during Irene flooding in August 2011.
morristowngreen.comA WPA project funded a new concrete dam above the Whippany River bed to rebuild Speedwell Lake.
livingnewdeal.org
Questions from Speedwell Village homeowners
Does living near Speedwell Lake mean my basement will flood?
Not necessarily. Lots close to the lake and the river tend to have higher groundwater, but many nearby basements leak from runoff and grading instead. Where and when the water shows up tells a contractor which one you are dealing with.
Water runs down my driveway from Speedwell Avenue into the garage. What helps?
A channel drain across the bottom of the driveway, piped to a safe outlet, is a common fix. Regrading the edges and checking that the garage slab pitches out rather than in can also stop water from reaching the basement.