Basement drain tile (often known as French drainage, weeping tile or foundation drain) is an efficient means of waterproofing basements and crawl spaces alike, channeling away water from their foundation. Additionally, it can also help mitigate moisture issues in yards and commercial building foundations by draining excess moisture away.
An efficient basement drainage system not only prevents moisture intrusion, but it can also protect your property and decrease repair costs over time. Furthermore, it may reduce mold and mildew growth within your home and eliminate potential health risks.
Basement drain tile works by channeling water through a trough formed at the footing/wall junction into a drain tile and ultimately to a sump pit basin with an outgoing discharge line directed toward your yard, where a sump pump collects and pumps out any surplus liquid that remains.
Ideal installation of the drain tile should begin around the interior perimeter of your basement and end with it connected to a crock with a discharge pipe leading directly out into your yard, in order to best avoid mud from contaminating and blocking up your drain tile, as well as prevent back up of water into your basement. This method also helps prevent blockages due to blockages from other sources in addition to keeping out unwanted guests like rodents!
This type of basement drainage system is typically found in newly built homes; however, retrofitting an interior basement drain tile system to existing homes is possible as well. To do so, any floor coverings must be removed prior to digging a trench around the interior perimeter of the house and installing drain tile pipes before filling in with concrete backfill and placing in a sump pit with a discharge line.
Some telltale signs that it may be time for a basement drainage system are water stains on walls and floors, and seepage. This may be caused by hydrostatic pressure resulting from excessive soil water levels exceeding absorption capacity – pushing against your foundation of your house and leading to cracks in walls and floors.
Installing an interior basement drain system involves digging a trench along the interior perimeter and installing drain tile pipes. Once the concrete backfill has been laid, the floor slab may be resurfaced using either vinyl or textured cement flooring, and then finished flooring can be added again. A plumbing company will use a water hose to test whether your drain tile is functioning effectively by searching for standing water or mud as well as checking pitch and flow rates. At the same time as inspecting your drain tile system, this work can be completed quickly with minimal disruption to your daily life. When hiring a plumbing company to conduct this service, be sure to hire one with experience who can give an accurate cost estimate before beginning their work and recommend the appropriate type of system to suit your unique situation and needs.