If your basement experiences leakage and flooding issues, or if you’re building a new house and researching waterproofing options, chances are good you have come across the term “drain tile.” Someone may have suggested it was essential in keeping groundwater away from seeping through foundation walls; or you may have even been referred to one by your plumber or handyman; perhaps reading articles online about it also helped. Unfortunately though, what most people refer to as “drain tile” actually refers to perforated pipes installed around a home’s footings rather than tiles that look like that
How Do Basement Drain Tiles Work? When water collects against a house’s foundation, it puts pressure on its walls that can cause them to crack or bow causing leaks, mold growth, mildew growth and structural damage to occur. In order to mitigate this threat, many builders of homes install perforated drainage systems called “drain tile” as a safeguard to block out groundwater entry into homes. This helps stop groundwater from getting inside.
There are various methods drain tiles can help your home. External and internal types exist; both can work alongside or independently from sump pumps. Internal pipes should be laid at an incline with washed gravel covering to allow water in but keep soil out, while this network of pipes direct water away from foundation through downward slope or to sump pit where sump pumps remove it for redirection.
Exterior drain tiles require digging a trench along the footings of a home and placing perforated pipes within it, before covering it with washed gravel to allow water into them while filtering dirt and debris out. This cost-effective system offers homeowners and builders alike an effective means of protecting against costly water damage to homes or structures.
An internal drain tile system involves installing perforated pipes inside of the basement floor or foundation slab and connecting them to a sump pump that activates during flood conditions, expelling any excess water through an outlet pipe and out of the house in an effort to safeguard against moisture issues.
Drain tile systems can be highly effective at protecting your property from moisture damage, but they may still experience clogs or other issues that require professional services to remedy. When this happens, contact a drain tile expert for inspection and service as a reliable system can significantly extend the life of your home and avoid expensive water damage repairs in the future. Standard Water Control’s team has over 45 years of experience installing drain tile systems into homes in Minnesota and western Wisconsin.