Homeowners with home foundation water problems are consistently disappointed with French drain (or drain tile) systems installed on the outside (and inside) of their homes. These old-fashioned French drain systems just don't do the job when it comes to keeping basements and crawl spaces dry. And when heavy rains come, waterproofers and plumbers work around the clock to pump out all the leaking basements that relied on these old French drain systems to keep them dry.
Mr. Basement of Maryland, D.C., and Northern Virginia can help! We install a state-of-the-art interior French drainage waterproofing system that is far superior to the old plastic pipe French drains that used to be the standard up until the 1980s.
WaterGuard vs. Drain tile
French drains are installed when the foundation has been excavated and the foundation’s walls have been constructed. The French drain, which consists of a PVC pipe set in gravel and sometimes wrapped with a filter fabric, is placed around the home's foundation. Then loose soil is backfilled around the foundation, and the French drain system is left alone until it clogs. Over the next couple of years, while the backfilled soil around the home settles, the homeowner must remember to re-grade the area around the home to prevent water from pooling around the house.
While it may go as long as ten years without any problems, the pipe and filter fabric (if a filter was originally used) is filling with sediment and mud from rainwater washing down into it. Once the drain tile or French drain system does clog, it no longer drains enough water from the system, and the only way to repair it is to service it.
This involves excavating the entire perimeter of the foundation (which means removing the driveway, deck, landscaping, porches, etc. immediately around the house), replacing the drain pipes, and refilling the soil once again from the piles of dirt now excavated onto the lawn.
During the next years, the soil will need additional re-grading as it settles. Because of this, homeowners eventually discover that they need to find a different and better way in which to deal with their foundation water problems.
Clogged Drain Tile
Perimeter drains are installed underneath the inside edge of the home’s foundation walls and are very popular in Washington DC and Maryland. They’re much more accessible for maintenance and do not involve the hassle and expenses of excavating. Basement Systems’ innovative new French drain design – WaterGuard – is perfect for this job.
These French drains are installed just underneath the floor and rest on top of the footing. Some contractors believe a deeper trench is needed, but with Eastern Maryland's high water table, homes around the Chesapeake Bay and ocean areas will not benefit from pumping away water that does not reach the home in the first place.
French drains often are installed with a large, unsightly gap around the perimeter to collect water from the basement walls. This allows humidity into the house while collecting debris from the floor that can clog the system.
However, WaterGuard is installed with a special wall flange that rises up to collect water while allowing itself to be cemented over.
From here, the drain tile (French drain) directs it into a sump pump system. This sump pump then discharges the water out of the house and away from the foundation. Because the sump pump is the heart of the system, reliability is important. Installing a pump that could fail and has no backup can mean a flooded basement.
Fortunately, Mr. Basement has the best sump pumps in Greater Baltimore, Washington DC, and Northern Virginia including backup sump pumps and battery backup sump pump systems! And, we are the exclusive provider of Basement Systems' patented basement waterproofing products!
Mr. Basement provides two unique perimeter basement waterproofing systems, WaterGuard and DryTrak. Both are highly resistant to clogs and will not need to sit in the mud the way a French drain or drain tile system does. Our basement waterproofing systems install inside the home where they’re easy to service, if needed, helping the basement stay dry all the time!
Call or contact us online for a Free French drain quote and basement inspection in the greater Baltimore, MD and Washington D.C. areas.
We service throughout Carroll, Harford, Baltimore City, Frederick, Howard, Queen Anne's Anne Arundel, Charles, Prince George's, St. Mary's, Dorchester, Wicomico, Somerset and Montgomery counties, including the cities of Salisbury, St. Charles, Suitland, Fort Washington, College Park, Aspen Hill, Gaithersburg, Germantown, Arnold, Glen Burrie, Carney, and various other areas in Eastern Maryland.
"Service performed as expected, timely manner, clean as expected, friendly crew."
Testimonial by Susan Redmond from Brooklyn Park, MD
"Everyone kind and efficient."
Testimonial by Bernie Farace from Baltimore, MD
1-877-605-5567
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