Drain tile can help your home avoid basement leaks and other waterproofing problems by channeling water away from its foundation and into an underground pipe system. But how exactly does it work?
At its core, water follows gravity by choosing the path of least resistance. Therefore, when water enters your house it will naturally gravitate toward your drain tile system and follow its route to either an outlet or sump pump before being discharged into either a drainage ditch or your property lawn for disposal.
If you’re planning on installing or having one installed for the first time, hiring a professional is recommended. The procedure entails moving everything out of the basement, covering exposed surfaces with plastic sheeting, digging a perimeter trench around the house with optional sump pit and installing flexible perforated drain pipe which has small holes perforations to filter dirt while collecting water underneath and around foundation and diverting to sump pit.
Ideal installation would occur during construction; however, retrofitting of an older home may also be possible. The basement floor would then need to be removed in order for a perforated pipe laid over washed gravel to run underneath and around it – creating hydrostatic pressure that pushes water through foundation coves into your basement and potentially into structural components or even wallboard. Hydrostatic pressure can have devastating consequences for home foundation integrity as well as structure integrity and drywall adhesion issues.
If you notice signs of pressure in your basement floor area such as soggy soil or pools of water under it, contact us immediately for an assessment from an Accu-Dry waterproofing specialist. We offer various solutions like drain tile to alleviate this strain on the foundation of your home and keep things dry!