Vulcan Basement Waterproofing In Chappaqua, NY
When the foundation is built, exterior basement walls are usually encased in tar, membrane and polyethylene film. These barriers will eventually stretch, shrink, crack and admit water.
Water in the basement and basement moisture is a fact of life for the homeowner. And it’s a serious problem that doesn’t go away on its own.
Basement waterproofing benefits include:
- Increased property values
- Prevents loss of property value
- Provides a healthier home environment
- Warmer basement during cold winter months
- Drier basement during humid summer months
- Increased living space and safe storage space
- Improved quality of life
- No musty basement smell
Four Common Uses of French Drains
In waterproofing your home and/or property, four common uses of French drains are the following:
- shallow curtain drains to divert surface water
- French drains built into a retaining wall to eliminate pressure build-up on the wall
- deep French drains to keep water out of the basement
- an interior French drain to stop water where it enters the home
A shallow curtain drain can be used to eliminate problem areas on your property where water build-up can occur, such as a low spot on the lawn or a continually washed out landscaped bed. It can also be used to divert water around your house. This fairly shallow drain extends horizontally across your property, uphill of the area you want to dry out and redirects the water to either side. Any retaining wall that is built into a hillside should incorporate a French drain so that the wall footings don’t give out from the water pressure that can easily build up behind the wall on the downslope.
Deep French drains run around the perimeter of the house at the footing level. Though this is easy to install during house construction, it is much more problematic and costly to install later. Sometimes on a flat property, collected water may need to be piped to a basin at a low point in the basement where a sump pump can remove it from the home. For information on capabilities and quality of sump pumps, consult a waterproofing professional.