Sposato Masonry

Basement & Waterproofing
Basement & Waterproofing
Basement & Waterproofing

Basement Waterproofing Services in Westfield, NJ

How a French Drain works

How a French Drain works
There are many methods to keeping your basement Dry and Healthy – Exterior drains, interior drains, wall seal drain, etc. Its no wonder why so many home owners feel overwhelmed when searching for a permanent solution! To properly waterproof a basement, the outside earth is excavated until the foundation wall of the house is exposed to the footing. From there, the outer foundation wall needs to be cleaned off properly then coated with a thick tar with a mesh then embedded over the first layer of tar.

After allowing the tar to take in the mesh, a second layer of the same tar is then applied over the mesh. The tar should be left to dry for 24 hours or as indicated by the manufacture. Back-filling is then preformed slowly, compacting every foot. As permanent as this may sound, This option only lasts about 20 years before the tar coating begins to deteriorate and water starts penetrate the basement walls again. 

The best option for New Jersey Homeowners is more commonly known as a French Drain system. Not only is it a permanent solution but the most cost effective way to water proof your basement.  A proper French Drains system is installed with the following steps:

  1. The inside perimeter of the floor is cut approximately one foot from the wall.
  2. A deep 12 in x 12 in trench is excavated and pitched alongside the footing.
  3. A 2 ft round by 1.5 ft deep Sump pit is then dug out and a non-biodegradable, HDPE (High Density Polyethylene) drainage well is then installed.
  4. After packing the dirt, The Trench is layered with 3/4 inch stone.
  5. A fully slotted, non-biodegradable, HDPE drainage pipe is installed around the perimeter to deliver the water to the sump pit.
  6. Where possible, the lowest course of block is tapped and bled (weeping holes) in order to drain the water building pressure in the walls.
  7. The trench is then covered with another layer of 3/4 inch stone. 
  8. To discharge the water, we will install a 1/2 HP Zoeller submersible pump in a covered polyethylene liner (sealed if your home has high radon level.)  
  9. A Polydrain wallboard is then installed over the stones, up and around the footing ending just shy of 3 inches above where the concrete slab will be poured following the trench/ perimeter.
  10. The basement floor is re-poured  with 5,000 psi high-strength concrete to its original level.
  11. Finally we seal any cracks in the floors and walls with 2 Part Hardened Epoxy to limit soil gas and moisture intrusion into the home.
  12. We then dig an outside trench from our discharge pipe to the street to prevent any water from being recycled back in to your home.

    The sump pump has a float similar to how a toilet works. When the float reaches a certain height, it lets the sump pump know that it is full of water and it triggers a release, discharging all the water to the outside of the house.
 
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