No matter if you are building from the ground up or experiencing foundation issues in an existing one, installing basement drain tile may be worth your while and money. This system helps relieve hydrostatic pressure under your house by diverting water away from entering through floor cracks and joints which could otherwise lead to serious flooding issues later.
Drain tile systems help prevent groundwater from pushing against your foundation walls and entering your home, using perforated pipes (rigid or flexible) connected to the basement floor for water collection and use a sump pump to pump it outdoors for disposal.
Drain tiles can be covered in various ways, but in most instances a layer of washed gravel is applied directly over the pipe to act as filter material to filter water as it moves towards your basement floor. When complete, soil piles up on top to complete this system.
Drainage tile systems can be installed either inside or outside the basement walls. Modern homes often come equipped with exterior drainage tile systems; however, older homes may benefit from retrofitting them as well. Such drainage solutions are commonly known as french drains or perimeter drains and typically buried beneath footer levels.
Interior systems tend to be less likely to clog than exterior ones, although even exterior perimeter drainage systems can experience blockages from tree roots or debris entering their pipes. The most cost-effective strategy would be combining an interior drain tile system and exterior perimeter drainage system together for maximum protection against basement leakage and water intrusion.
An interior basement drain tile system should ideally be installed during or soon after initial construction of a home, to ensure its integration into its surroundings and eliminate more complex excavation or demolition work that would otherwise be needed for an after-the-fact installation.
Contractors typically start by excavating a trench around the interior perimeter of a basement to ensure there’s room for a sump basin, inserting perforated drain tile through its knockout and making contact with the basement floor through gravel bed on top of pipe before piling soil on top of system to complete system. Once complete, sump pump and flexible or rigid drainpipe connection to interior draintile is then installed as well as hanging filter fabric above drain to allow water in while keeping soil out – before backfilling system complete!