Drain tile can help prevent seepage in your basement by channeling away water intrusion from its source. Installed either during new construction or retrofitted as an afterthought solution for seepage issues, drain tile is a versatile tool.
Hydrostatic pressure relief systems reduce hydrostatic pressure that builds under your foundation, eliminating two common sources of basement flooding – seepage through cracks and the cove joint. They also direct groundwater away from homes into sump pits where it can be safely pumped away by pumps.
Prepare the Area
Basement drains (or interior foundation drains) are systems installed inside your basement floor or slab to divert ground water away from entering. It is typically found in older homes without exterior drainage systems for their basement, though newer construction can incorporate this feature as well.
Installing a basement drain is more cost-effective than an external weeping tile system, which requires contractors to excavate around your entire foundation and cause significant disruptions in landscaping, sidewalks, patios and driveway.
If your basement walls are leaking or showing signs of moisture (efflorescence or salty residue on the wall surface), installing a drain tile system may provide relief. It works by creating a channel within each wall that redirects rainwater away from your home and into the channel’s collection point for safe disposal.
Before beginning tiling, prepare the area where your drain will be by breaking up and removing any concrete that’s covering it. Spread a layer of washed gravel over top of it – this helps filter water as it enters your drainage pipe while simultaneously keeping dirt out so as to prevent future flooding or leaking issues. Now it is time to start tiling around it! With these steps taken care of you are ready to lay out a grid and tile around it.
Lay Out the Tiles
Drain tile systems consist of perforated pipes connected by perforations that collect groundwater before it seeps through foundation footings into basement and crawl space foundation footings. Also referred to as French drains, weeping tiles or footing drain systems, these drain tile systems are typically installed around new home construction but can often be retrofitted into existing homes as well.
As part of an ideal foundation design, the soil should ideally slope away from the house and toward a drain – this will prevent excess moisture entering through footing-to-foundation wall joints.
An effective drain tile system can save both money and time by helping to prevent costly foundation repairs. Most local building codes mandate installing one; this requirement does not apply to existing homes.
Installing an interior basement drain tile system involves contractors taking several steps. They begin by taking out strips of flooring around the perimeter and excavating soil beneath to form a trench alongside foundation footers. Next comes gravel-filling of this trench before filling it in with drain tile pipe wrapped in fabric to direct water away from the basement using either sump pumping or French drains. While installing exterior drain tile systems can also be accomplished using this approach, doing so requires more involvement than its interior counterpart.
Cut the Tiles
Basement drain systems (also referred to as weeping tile, perimeter drainage or footing tile) are essential in new homes built from scratch in order to keep them dry. A drain tile system typically comprises of pipes, sump pits and pumps as well as storage containers that collect groundwater before redirecting it away from the foundation walls and foundation itself – alleviating hydrostatic pressure that would otherwise force foundation walls outward and cause costly structural damage to a property.
Contractors dig a trench around a basement floor and install perforated drain tile, creating an inclined floor sloped towards the drain so rainwater runs easily off of its surface and into the pipe. In addition, this system features a sump basin filled with washed gravel that features an integral pump to extract excess water from its basin.
Interior drain tile systems can also be retrofitted into existing homes to help combat hydrostatic pressure issues. Hydrostatic pressure accumulates on foundation walls, placing an immense strain upon them that eventually causes cracking and crumbling; by channeling water directly into drains instead of directly onto them, a basement drainage system helps relieve this pressure on walls by diverting excess water away from them, relieving pressure.
Use a pencil to mark the outline of the drain on your tiles, expanding it by 1/4″. Cut tiles to fit around it using an angle grinder; small, thin-bodied tiles may work best as they allow more slope around a drain.
Grout the Tiles
A basement drain tile system is one of the best defenses against water intrusion into your home. Consisting of perforated pipe that collects and redirects groundwater towards an underground storage container such as a sump pit or sump pump for pumping outdoors, this type of system is often installed during new construction to prevent moisture intrusion and potential structural damage that could occur from moisture intrusion. Even in existing houses without one already, installing such a drain tile system could alleviate future moisture issues while prolonging its life span.
Before beginning to tile around a basement drain, it’s a wise idea to lay out your grid as though there weren’t a drain present. This will allow you to establish where each tile will go in terms of position and contour of floor surface so you can cut tiles accordingly when cutting for around the drain.
Installing an interior drain tile system in your basement requires cutting out a strip of the basement floor and excavating out its contents, including soil. After excavating is complete, a trench must be dug alongside foundation footings in order to accommodate perforated pipes which connect directly with a sump pit or underground storage container if you are concerned about groundwater seepage during heavy rainstorms. Furthermore, an extension could also be added outside your walls should groundwater seepage cause flooding issues in heavy downpours.