Foundation drains are the pipes which are fixed under your basement floor or foundation in order to collect the water and then move it off the site to avoid water filling your basement. They are a system of pipes underneath your basement floor and they are supposed to collect groundwater before it leaks into the basement.
Perforated pipe, such as a trench grate, is the major feature of a foundation drain and it is usually placed around the outer foundation. It arrests all the excess water and then drains it to a catch basin or a storm sewer or a soak pit several distances away from the building.
The Foundation drains which are attached directly to the sanitary sewer usually work very well and they do not require any maintenance. They in addition add lots of clean water to your sewer and significantly increase the probabilities of a basement backup which is good for you as well as your neighbors. Buildings built after the 1950’s are required to have their foundation drains connected to a sump pump which directs the water to the storm sewer or your lawn.
For an effective drainage, several factors should be put into consideration when it comes to the design of the foundation drain. They include;
Drainage boards
Drainage boards are very important and especially in places with heavy rainfall. They draw off the water fast to the edge drain through fixing them on the solid foundation wall. Doing this avoids the accumulation of hydrostatic pressure on the wall which can bring forth other problems that will mean spending cash for repair or replacement.
The Materials
They are supposed to be made of perforated pipe or firm drain tile. Even though bendable rigid plastic pipes may be used, additional measures should be taken to avoid crushing it when backfilling. Thus your choice of materials is important as it will save you for long
No trees
Trees should not be planted near the foundation. Actually, they are supposed to be far like their final height. It will avoid the roots from the trees from filling the drains and also hold back the tree from taking the water in the soil since this can result in settlement which can be hazardous in the future.
Moisture
The content of the moisture in the soil placed close to the foundation has a big effect on the surface drainage systems of the water. This is because the content of the moisture is reliant on the kind of soil placed. Therefore the soil should be able to drain the water around.
Position of the drain pipes
The drain pipes are supposed to be placed next to the footing and the best place is close to its base. Even though the tile does not require being slanting, low places should be avoided.
Entering or buildup of water in your living spaces or in your basements can result in a range of consequences, from being a small nuisance to resulting in more grave structural damage accompanied with health problems. The causes might be challenging, hard to identify, as well as costly to remediate as a result of access limits and the persistent nature of various repairs. Several of the major causes of water entrance into the buildings include insufficient carefulness given to site and considerations of foundation drainage design.
Others include wrong workmanship details or for the drainage factors, insufficient building enclosure systems fixed when building construction, as well as too little maintenance on surface drainage systems. The remedy is typically expensive, iterative, and very frustrating to the owner , occupant, and the builder as well.