Exterior Drain Tile Systems in Worcester, Springfield, Chicopee

Pros and Cons of Repairing your Wet Basement with an Exterior French Drain

French drain system installed outside concrete footing of a home's foundation. A discharge line carries water away from the home.

French drain filled with water, a fill of stone, and backfilled soil.

Many contractors suggest installing a French drain system along the outside of the home.

To install an exterior French drain, the contractor usually does this:

1. The whole perimeter of your home is cleared and shrubs, steps, porches, etc., must all be removed before work can start.
2. Then, the contractor digs the perimeter of your home. Excavated dirt is heaped around the home.
3. The drain is laid in a bed of stone along the bottom. Stone, and maybe a layer of filter fabric, are put down to protect drain clogging.
4. The excavated soil will be backfilled on the system. In a year, this soil will settle and the contractor may have to return to add more soil in.

At Leader Basement Systems, we do not recommend this type of drainage system installation. Instead, we suggest installing an interior basement drain along the inside of the basement or crawlspace. For a free waterproofing quote in Massachusetts and Connecticut, call or e-mail us!

Getting Ready To Install an Exterior French Drain
	You'll Need to Remove:
	Trees Shrubbery Gardens	Porches Steps Sidewalks	Patios Driveways ..and possibly more
	Many times you can expect contractors to create huge heaps of excavated soil all around your home, creating a mess. Plus, the process can be very expensive, costing $15,000 to $20,000 per installation with other companies. Installation time is usually twice as long or more, than if you have an interior system installed.

Failing French Drains in Massachusetts and Connecticut

A clogged French drain system found installed around a home in Clinton, MA and CT.

French drain systems have been installed outside of homes since the 1920s, and if they were the best solution, Leader Basement Systems would be install them too.

But, placing a French drain or exterior footing drain outside a home can be a failure. When you have a drainage system a few feet under the earth, even with a gravel bed, it will clog with dirt, roots, and debris - it's just a matter of time.

Other contractors may try to stop this by laying down a filter fabric around the drain. Then, instead of the drain clogging, the filter fabric does and won't let water into the pipe.

Other problems, like freezing pipes and improperly slanted lines are common. This kind of exterior drainage will usually not handle water that collects under the basement floor. And then you'll still need a sump pump in your basement.

Some contractors even connect exterior drains to a sump pump inside the home - now that's sure to clog at some point!

What happens when your drainage system clogs? It needs to be taken out and you'll have to start over. Why would you want to do and pay for that?

For a FREE basement waterproofing quote, call or e-mail Leader Basement Systems today.

We service Massachusetts and Connecticut plus Milford, West Springfield, Gardner, Ludlow, Westborough, Easthampton, Greenfield.

Related Pages

• Interior Basement Drain Systems