Foundation drain tile installation basement

There are two types of electric sump pumps: submersible and pedestal. Submersible sump pumps Submersible sump pumps go into the collection pit below the basement floor. However, they can be deeper if required. Sump pump drainage happens when water in the collection pit fills to a certain level.

When this happens, the sump pump turns on and pumps the water in the pit away from the foundation. The smaller the collection pit, the more quickly it will fill with water and then drain. When the float inside them rises to a certain point, the sump pump kicks into action. Learn more about: Benefits of installing a backup battery system for sump pump.

Since water causes most foundation problems, you can keep water out of your basement by making it hard for water to saturate the soil around the foundation. Here are some ways to do that:. Basement drain systems are the key to getting a dry basement. If you have a damp basement, contact a foundation repair professional in your area for an inspection and repair cost estimate. Most of them will do the inspection for free. Get A Free Inspection. Make A Payment. Jul 10, Dave Epp.

What Are Basement Drain Systems? Hydrostatic Pressure. Basement Drain Systems Explained. Interior drain tile installation involves, Using a jackhammer to break up your basement floor Digging a trench around the perimeter of your basement Filling the trench with gravel Placing a perforated pipe in the trench and then covering it with gravel Replacing the concrete if the basement will be finished.

If the basement is used for storage only, the gravel-filled trench may be left uncovered. How Do Sump Pumps Work. Other things you can do to keep water out of your basement. Shrubs, flowers, or other vegetation types requiring a lot of water should be at least 10 feet from your foundation. The drain tile is the white pipe next to the footer.

He should have 2 or 3 inches of gravel under the pipe. If the pipe has two rows of holes, they should point down in the 4 and 8-o'clock position. Finally, he should cover the drain tile with about 2 or 3 feet of gravel, not 3 inches like you see.

He did put the pipe alongside the footer instead of on top and he's covered the gravel with tar paper so it doesn't get clogged with silt from the backfill soil.

Copyright Tim Carter. Once the house is built, this swimming pool gets covered. Foundation drain tile systems are one of the most important aspects of residential construction if your home has a full basement or crawlspace. Drain tile systems are also one of the most misunderstood parts of the average home - both by most uninformed builders and homeowners.

Foundation Waterproofing Systems and Tips. Water Sitting Around Shallow Foundations. Because these systems are usually deeply buried and cannot be easily modified or corrected, it's vitally important that they are installed correctly. Foundation drainage systems which are installed properly can serve a dual role.

Watch this video to see the correct white PVC pipe to use and the orientation of the drain holes. He doesn't show this pipe along a foundation but what you see are the first three steps of doing the job right.

Many homes around the nation have full or partial basements. These basements are really reverse swimming pools. The basement, before the house is built on top of it, looks just like the typical in-ground swimming pool. But most people don't want water in their basements. Foundation drain tile systems are the means by which groundwater can be transported away from your basement.

If you want a dry basement, you must have fantastic drain tile and waterproofing on the outside of the foundation. The water content in the soil surrounding your house can fluctuate seasonally.

There's always a point at which you can dig and hit water. Geologists often refer to this as the water table.

This water table rises and falls in response to the amount of precipitation in any given time period. The water table in many parts of the country can rise to within a few feet of the surface during wet spells. The water in the soil is moving all the time.

In almost all cases, it moves down a few inches then it begins to move sideways. Gravity is pulling it to the oceans around the world. Here's a side view of a typical house. The black clouds release rain. It falls into the soil and starts to go down, but then sideways. The bedrock under the soil generally, but not always, follows the shape of the soil above it. Soil depths can vary from several feet to tens-of-feet thick. Most people think that the water in soil moves straight down but in reality, it moves sideways through the topsoil and upper layers of the B horizon of soil.

Almost all homes are built on some sort of slope, so if you have acres of land above your home, the water in the soil is all marching and flowing towards your house. Water will take the path of least resistance. Install drain pipe to sit outside of, not on top of, the footings and below the bottom of the concrete slab or crawlspace floor.

Lay the pipe with enough slope to drain to a non-perforated pipe that carries the collected water to daylight, to a drywell, to a storm sewer if approved by the local municipality, or to a sump pump that will transport it to daylight, a storm sewer, or a drywell.

Alternately, use drain pipe encased in a filter-fabric sock and surround the cloth-covered pipe with gravel. Figure 1. Drain tile is flexible perforated pipe that is covered with filter fabric to keep dirt out of the perforations when the hose is installed along the footings of a foundation wall.

Source: EPA Figure 2. This drain tile cross-section shows the relative placement of the drain tile to the foundation wall. Note the geo-textile filter fabric must wrap completely around the bed of gravel in the trench.

Source: HIRL How to Install Drain Tile that Discharges to Daylight Dig a trench large enough to accommodate the filter fabric, drainage tile, and gravel. The trench should allow 6 inches of space around the pipe, which means it will usually have to be at least 16 inches deep and 16 inches wide to fit a standard 4-inch pipe with protective cover. Because the drain tile will be installed at a height that is lower than the bottom of the concrete slab or crawlspace floor, the trench must be at least 10 inches deeper than the top of the footing or slab.

Slope or level the trench so that when the drainage tile is installed, water will readily flow to the lowest point i. Lay the filter fabric on the bottom of the trench. When complete, the entire drainage tile and gravel bed will be surrounded by filter fabric, so leave ample surplus to ensure there is enough fabric to cover the wrap around over the top of the drain pipe and the 6 inches of rock poured over it.

It is important that the gravel be free of fines i. Install the drainage tile. Secure all the connections to make a complete drainage system around the entire foundation. Connect the perforated pipe to a non-perforated pipe that leads to the discharge location. The discharge pipe must lay at a downward slope and discharge to daylight at least 10 feet from the foundation Figure 3 , or to a suitable alternative such as to a drywell or storm sewer.

Wrap the drainage tile and gravel in the filter fabric to further protect the system from silt and sand. Figure 3. A properly installed drain tile encircles the footing of the house and slopes downward to a single collection point that drains to daylight or to a suitable discharge point. How to Install Drain Tile that Discharges to a Sump Pit Prior to pouring the concrete slab or foundation, establish where the sump pit will be located and extend a piece of 4-inch non-perforated pipe from the pit to the exterior of the house, leaving at least 12 inches of pipe to extend beyond the footing.

The pipe should be imbedded in the gravel capillary break below the foundation or slab. Pour the foundation, taking care to not damage the drainage pipe. After the concrete has set, follow the instructions listed above for installing the drain tile, with one exception: In step 5 above, install the non-perforated pipe to lead to the sump pit, as shown in the Figure 4.

Figure 4. The foundation drain tile drains to a sump pump, which pushes the water out and away from the foundation. Figure 5. This drain tile directs the collected water to a sump pit that pushes the water to a discharge pipe which releases it 10 feet from the foundation. Ensuring Success. Right and Wrong Images. Wrong — The drain tile is not wrapped in fabric and could become clogged with debris. View Image Download.

Right — The drain tile is wrapped in fabric which will prevent it clogging with debris. Wrong — The drain tile is cut and now does not extend around the entire foundation footing. Right — The drain tile is installed along the bottom of the entire foundation footing. Wrong — The drain tile is not installed to terminate properly and will not transport water to the exterior.