Installing drain tile is one of the best ways to address basement water issues. Installed either exterior or interior, drain tiles relieve hydrostatic pressure under foundation walls and eliminate two common sources of seepage: cracks in floor slabs and cove joints. Exterior drainage tile installation during construction also can alleviate lateral pressure from oversaturated soil around foundations as well as weather-related rises in groundwater tables.
Drain tile systems work by collecting water and draining it away from foundations using perforated pipes located along and beneath concrete slab floors. Once collected, they’re connected to a sump pump basin that will discharge it out of the basement; all this without breaking through the slab floor or touching anything inside of a home other than installing the sump pump itself.
Installation of a drain tile system during new construction or shortly after foundation footings have been laid is best achieved when completed during or soon after footings have been poured, to allow installers to position the pipe so it is easily accessible once construction has completed. However, retrofitting an existing home with interior or exterior drain tile requires much more complicated measures; such as breaking through concrete slab floors to access it as well as digging a trench.
Installation of an interior drain tile system may be required by village code when obtaining a building permit, and is frequently recommended to contract ULB-DRY’s waterproofing company for an interior basement waterproofing system that will install a water vapor barrier to protect studs, insulation and drywall installations from moisture penetration through walls.
Homeowners with interior drain tile systems should consider having their basement floor slab and cellar walls inspected with a drainage camera inspection to get an overview of its condition, including any breaks, plugs/blockages, tree roots or other issues that require attention. This provides them with a better idea of any issues that require attention like breakages or plugs/blockages in their drain tiles as well as any breaks that might need fixing in time.
Do-it-yourselfers might be tempted to install their own basement drain tile system; however, this is generally not recommended and should be left up to Seepageseal‘s experts. Installing drain tiles correctly requires heavy equipment, extensive training, and experience – something a do-it-yourselfer shouldn’t attempt themselves.
For exterior drain tile installation, we will dig a trench alongside the foundation footings and install a drainage system consisting of channel drains and a sump pit. The drainage system will collect ground water away from foundation footings before redirecting it down through channel drains towards a sump pump basin that discharges outward away from your home.