"French Drain" at Menard's

[wiz561]

Hi!

I was at Menard's the other day and saw that they were selling this pvc basement drain system. I forget who makes it, but I do remember it was somewhat costly. It appeared to be a little "gutter" that you would install around the perimeter of the basement floor. If the wall leaked, it would drip into the drain and then empty somewhere.

I was wondering if anybody has seen anything like this or can comment on it.

Thanks!

[Robert Allison]

Drain tiles. I live down here in the south (the land without basements) and even I know about these, but then it is my job to know about stuff like this.

More than you ever wanted to know:

[RicodJour]

I think he's talking about something like this:

is a retrofit plastic 'baseboard' that is epoxied to the slab. They work pretty well if care is taken during the installation - same as anything. Around here a drain tile refers to a pipe that is buried under the slab or runs along the outside of the footing.

R

[hallerb]

the main thing about wet basements.........

fix the obvious things first, like clogged gutters and downspouts, obvious yard sloping towards home, downspouts dumping water at foundation, before moving to the permanet solution.

incidently it must be under footer level to be effective, or water will just work its way up thru the floor. you cant seal out water, the most you can do is redrect it somewhere else.

the perimeter or interior french drain must allow any water trapped in a block wall to drain down to the interior french drain

[wiz561]

Ah, yes. These are what I was thinking of. I don't know if I should use these, dri-core, or both....

Thanks!

[hallerb]

if I should

after spending near 20 grand:(

fix the obvious but dont bother installing much in the way of exterior french drains, they always clog over time:( ( the proof is the 3 previous attempts at the home all clogged with silt)

holes should be drilled into EACH block cavatity, so no water is trapped at any time. the plastic baseboard should cover the holes at the very bottom of the cavatity and send the water under the slab, to the perforated pipe in a good gravel bed. ideally draining to daylight, or if not possible to a sump pump.

all other partial fixes will see you doing it again:(

I SPEAK FROM BRUTAL EXPERIENCE:(