French Drains
Water will find more ways to cause structural damage to your home than anything else. It can leak through foundation walls, seep through basement floors and even move your entire house. Thanks to the ingenuity of Henry Flagg French, our certified foundation specialists can prevent water damage to your home through the use of a french drain.
Since the early 1800’s, homeowners have battled the destructive nature of water with drainage systems that are designed to keep water away from their foundations. Also known as drainage tiles, weeping tiles or perimeter drains, french drains are trenches near the bottom of your foundation that are filled with gravel or rock and a drainage pipe. f
As the soil around your home absorbs surface and groundwater, the water will be filtered through the gravel and down into the drainage pipe. The trenches are dug in such a manner that allows the water to be funneled away from your house and discharged safely.
Types of French Drains
The most common type of french drain is on the exterior of your foundation in a foot wide trench that starts at the foundation walls. Where the pipes release water into a public system or back into the environment is determined by the unique geological factors around your home.
As more homeowners are finding exterior french drain systems that have failed to keep water out of their basements, interior drainage systems have become more commonplace.
Interior french drain systems are nearly identical to exterior drainage systems. A trench is dug in areas of your basement or crawlspace that are suffering from water intrusion. A drainage pipe is laid beneath your basement floor and gravel is used to backfill the trench surrounding the pipe.
In order to redirect the water out of your home, the interior trench leads to a catch basin that houses a sump pump, which is used to discharge the water into the exterior french drain.
What You Should Know About Our French Drains
Properly caring for your home requires the same methods as caring for yourself. You can get rid of headaches by taking medication, but it’s a neverending expense. The headache itself is only a symptom of something that’s wrong in your body, just as a wet basement is only a symptom of something wrong with your home.
Once you learn what causes water seepage in your basement, you can prevent repeat damage in the future. All interior and exterior french drains we install are custom designed to fit your home and address the problem, not the symptom.
Find out what causes water leaks in your basement by taking advantage of our FREE 68 Point Inspection.
Any french drain installed by Keystone Basement Systems’ certified waterproofing specialists include regular maintenance and are backed by our Lifetime Warranty.
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