A Drain Tile Waterproofing System Is The Best Way To Keep Your Hampton Roads Home Dry
When it comes to foundation waterproofing, nothing beats a drain tile system. Unlike barrier waterproofing methods, a drain tile system doesn’t merely keep water out of your home’s foundation. It prevents excess moisture from building up in the ground around the foundation. If the soil around your home is sufficiently dry, there isn’t enough moisture to create problems.
We serve Hampton Roads, Virginia Beach, Norfolk, Chesapeake, and the surrounding area. Contact us today for an estimate.
Water Enters Your Home Because The Ground Around Your Foundation Is Wet
When there’s excess moisture in the soil around your home’s foundation, water can enter via hairline cracks in the foundation wall or slab. Even when there aren’t any cracks, moisture can enter because concrete soaks up water like a sponge. This increases the humidity in the crawl space or basement, creating the perfect environment for mold growth, wood rot, and pest infestation.
A Drain Tile System Keeps The Ground Around Your Hampton Roads Home Dry
A drain tile system ensures there’s no excess moisture in the soil around your home’s foundation. It does this by using a buried drainage pipe to channel excess water in the ground toward a sump pit. It’s then released away from the foundation via a sump pump.
When the ground around your home’s foundation is dry, you don’t worry about the following:
Water intrusion
Foundation damage caused by excess soil moisture
Mold growth
Wet crawl space or basement
Ruined personal belongings
Poor indoor air quality caused by a moldy crawl space or basement
Exterior Drain Tile System
An exterior drain tile system is installed around the outside perimeter of your home’s foundation at the footing level.
- First, we excavate the soil around the foundation down to the footing level.
- Next, we dig a shallow trench around the perimeter of the foundation and line it with gravel.
- A perforated drainage pipe is placed into the trench and covered with more gravel.
- Finally, the excavated soil is replaced.
After the exterior drain tile system is installed, any excess moisture in the soil will flow into the perforated drainage pipe and toward the sump pit. Once the water in the sump pit reaches a certain level, a sump pump will turn on and expel the water safely away from the foundation.
Interior Drain Tile System
An interior drain tile system is installed along the inside perimeter of the crawl space or basement. If an interior drain tile system is installed in a basement, it means tearing up the slab to dig a shallow trench.
- First, we dig a shallow trench around the inside perimeter of the crawl space or basement and line it with gravel.
- A perforated drainage pipe is placed into the trench and covered with more gravel.
- If the basement is going to be finished, the slab is replaced. Some homeowners choose to leave the trench open if the basement isn’t going to be finished.
Excess moisture in the soil will now find its way into the drainage pipe and get channeled toward the sump pit. When the sump pit fills with water, a sump pump will kick in and release the water away from the foundation.
An interior drain tile system is a cost-effective waterproofing solution for both crawl spaces and basements. It’s easier to install than an exterior drain tile system because we don’t need to excavate down to the footing, remove landscaping, etc. Installation can also be done year-round.
Things Every Homeowner Can Do To Help Keep The Ground Dry Around A Foundation
If you want to avoid foundation problems, controlling groundwater around the foundation is essential. While a drain tile system is a foundation waterproofing gold standard, there are some other things you can do as well. These include the following:
Regrade your yard so that it slopes away from the foundation
Get A Free Estimate For A Drain Tile System
At AMC911, we serve Hampton Roads, including Norfolk, Virginia Beach, Chesapeake, Portsmouth, and more. Contact us today and schedule a free drain tile system estimate.
