Drainage to Stop Water Seeping into the Basement
When you notice water seeping into the basement, you may wonder how it got in and how to prevent that from occurring in the first place. One would assume that a drainage system should be installed on the outside of the home to capture the water before it flows towards the basement, but after extensive practice in the industry, exterior drainage systems have become known to be ineffective long-term solutions, as they tend to clog easily, leading to water bypassing the system, entering the basement regardless. Not to mention that servicing clogged external drainage systems often requires digging up tons of soil, landscaping, and potentially removing decks, patios or even HVAC systems.
What works better than digging around the exterior of the home to install a drainage system? Digging on the inside! To be more exact, jackhammering part of the foundation footing and installing an interior perimeter system around the basement walls the system to catch water at the source – the point of least resistance (often, the floor/wall joint or a wall crack). Water can also be captured at the floor's perimeter before reaching the basement center.
The advantages of an interior drainage system:
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It can be installed without digging a massive trench in your yard
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Installation takes only a day or two
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It is easily serviceable year-round
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It works
Even in finished basements, waterproofing from the inside is significantly easier than from the outside. The majority of full-service basement waterproofing companies offer internal drainage systems…but be wary, for not all interior waterproofing systems were created equal.
Originally in the 1950s, many of the drainage pipes used for interior waterproofing projects were made from clay and called “clay tile pipes”. This type of drainage pipe was mainly used for field drainage, exterior footing drains, road drainage, or just about anything. Over time, the industry switched over to using plastic, as clay pipes were prone to rust, erode, and thus be rendered ineffective over time.
Today, a system called WaterGaurd, which was invented by Basement Systems, Inc. in 1994, has proven to offer all of the advantages that homeowners and contractors need. WaterGaurd is designed to be an effective, long-lasting internal perimeter basement waterproofing solution. The main distinction is that the WaterGaurd rests on top of the footing rather than beside it. This is significant because it prevents wet dirt from entering the drain from underneath (and thus prevents WaterGuard from clogging) since no part of the system rests directly on soil.
Requirements of a Good Drainage System
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Designed not to clog – sits on top of the footing
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Has a built-in 3/8 inch gap between the floor and the wall to drain wall leaks
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Does not rely fully on filter fabric to not clog
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Has a big drain outlet to the sump
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Will not cause structural damage to the foundation
Watergaurd meets all these requirements. With a sub-floor system such as WaterGaurd, an experienced installer can make various customizations to fit the specific needs of the home. Once fully installed, any water entering the basement will be captured by trickling down the wall directly into the system through the built-in 3/8 inch gap at the top of the WaterGaurd. A CleanSpace vapor barrier is used on the wall to help reduce humidity in addition to directing the water into the system. The WaterGaurd drains the water into a powerful sump pump like the TripleSafe sump pump, which pumps the water up and out of the basement to drain away from the home. The basement may still feel musty and damp, but we have that covered as well with the SaniDry Sedona Dehumidifier, designed to monitor and control the humidity level in the air, draining the excess moisture into the sump pump along with the WaterGaurd.
Do you have a leaky or musty basement? If so, click the link below to schedule a free inspection. Lowcountry Foundation Repair serves as the exclusive, authorized distributor of the patented WaterGuard system – a system that has had more linear feet installed worldwide than any comparable product on the market…and one that is nationally-backed with a lifetime warranty against future water intrusion. Lowcountry’s waterproofing solutions are custom-designed to permanently-resolve the unique issues that affect each specific home. Click here to schedule a free inspection.
