DIY Network

WEB-EXTRA: Homeowner Advice on Septic Systems From "Be Your Own Contractor: Vacation Homes" episode DBCV-112

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Following below is some additional information on what our do-it-yourself contractors have to say about getting a septic system installed on a vacation home.

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Rick Ziebarth

Rick Ziebarth
Put-In-Bay, OH

There are no sewers on the island. So what we had to do is have a septic system approved. I had to get educated on what the health department required and what the county required for a sanitary system. And they gave me a number of options, and guided me through the process, and told me what I needed to do.

One of the decisions I made early, before, even designing the house, was the septic system and the leach field could be designed for either two or three or more bedrooms. While this is technically a two-bedroom home, we elected to size it for three bedrooms, so there is some capacity within the home to expand it to three bedrooms, and I didn’t want to have any issues with the health department about doing that.

The people I worked with at the health department, they were very helpful, and I was very fortunate that they were willing to take the extra time to work with me, to educate me, and to guide me through the process.

Homeowner Don Helgoth

Don Helgoth
Westcliffe, CO

Our cabin is located quite a ways from any towns or cities, and we knew from the outset that we would have to well and septic system for our water and our sewer. We are extremely familiar with the workings of a septic system, since we have one in our primary residence. We certainly understood what had to be done. And because of that and because certainly we don't have the equipment to do that ourselves, we did contract with a, a local contractor in the area to install the septic system, and also the leach field which goes with it.

We relied on the subcontractor to size the system correctly. He knew the number of bedrooms, the approximate number of the people that would be using the cabin, the frequency and so forth. And he just put his numbers together and said this is what you need, and we accepted his advice. We really let him be the expert in this case.

Michael Mortenson
Whidbey Island, WA

In an island situation, septic systems can be a little trickier. There is a real need to have someone with a lot of experience here. And that was certainly what bore out when I asked people here on the island how both well and septic systems work. And because of that, I decided I'll go with a contractor that all they do is septic systems.

As we learned more about this particular property, we found that this was a property that did not perk and does not allow for the mound system, where you're actually storing your liquids. And what that meant is we had an easement with a neighboring property and would have to have a better pump system to actually bring it up slightly above grade uphill to that mound system.

I did not have any experience with septic systems. I had a lot of remodeling experience, but it was an eye-opener, being outside the city and finding that this situation was totally different from anything you'll encounter inside a city. So it really was a situation where I made lots of phone calls, talked to contractors, gathered a lot of information and talked to other people that I would come across here on the island.

RESOURCES :

HomeAdditionPlus.com
This website was set up by the guest featured in episode 112 of Be Your Own Contractor: Vacation Homes. The site is for the "Do-it-yourself" homeowner who is planning to make home repairs or home improvements to their home. The site provides extensive how-to information, product reviews, project estimators, home articles, and building/planning products that will assist you in home improvement, home remodeling and home building projects.

Builder's Guide to Wells and Septic Systems (Builder's Guide Series)
Model: 0070718393
Author: R. Dodge Woodson
by McGraw-Hill Professional Publishing; ISBN:
McGraw-Hill Companies
Website: www.mcgraw-hill.com

Country Plumbing: Living With a Septic System
Model: 0911469028
Author: Gerry Hartigan, Bob Vogel
Alan C. Hood and Co.