No matter if you are building a new home or fixing up an older basement, basement drain tiles are an essential waterproofing system. Installed either around the outside or inside foundations, they provide groundwater a way out while relieving hydrostatic pressure that causes cracks in walls. But how do you tile over an already-existing drain? Here are a few solutions you could try:
When it comes to tiling over existing concrete floors, using a vapor barrier and epoxy-based membrane are the two best choices for moisture control and easy tiling over it directly without additional work or materials. If tiling over cement flooring instead, consider installing a vapor barrier along with slipproof porcelain tile that prevents slipperiness; an antimicrobial vinyl sheet product such as Greatmats StayLock Perforated would also work perfectly as it comes in two neutral colors to complement any basement color scheme.
Installing drain tile inside of a basement with concrete floors is no simple task, but necessary to address long-term groundwater seepage issues. Installation typically involves breaking up and removing approximately one foot of concrete around its perimeter before digging a trench for installation of drain tile pipe topped off with filter fabric and gravel covering.
Builders often install exterior weeping tile to collect water from the ground and transport it through drainage system to be transported away from their house and away from potential underground springs or high groundwater levels. This feature helps keep water away from houses. It’s particularly helpful in areas where there’s high groundwater levels or numerous springs nearby.
Problems arise with this system because it relies solely on gravity for operation and may become compromised during heavy rainstorms if its sump pump becomes overwhelmed. You can increase redundancy by connecting it to either a dry well or sewer system to eliminate this threat.
Keep in mind that even with an effective drain tile system in place, walls remain porous and absorb moisture into the home. Therefore, applying an EPS or XPS foam (or another rigid insulation material) layer from floor-to-ceiling may help to protect against moisture entering through walls – thus helping prevent radon or moisture entering via walls into your basement.
If your basement drain is not functioning as intended, the most likely cause will likely be a clogged drain line. This could be caused by roots or dirt clogging the pipe or because your sump pump fails to move water from its pit. Clogged drains can have serious implications on basement waterproofing systems so it’s crucial that they be checked regularly; use either hand augers or mechanical drum augers as part of a scheduled maintenance regimen; however for larger obstructions consider calling professional plumbers who specialize in non-cylindrical tile like WaterGuard and SealOnce which have rectangular corners which block large machines from clearing their blades clogging out their blades and calling plumbers could help.