  
|
Exterior Foundation drains solve Basement flooding
without pumps or electricity !!! |
|
 |
Is an Exterior solution right for me?
"Your
house is only as healthy as your basement"
Wet
Crawlspace ???
My neighbor's water drains onto my property.
What can I do? |
Allow
Bobcats for Hire to expertly design and install a foundation drainage
system to your home that succeeds in drying both the walls and also the floor of your basement. Our
exterior systems incorporate a waterproof membrane and insulation that work together to keep your basement dry, warm, and mold free. An exterior foundation drain removes water BEFORE it
pours through your foundation. This is done by using gravity, plenty of 2 ½” crushed stone, and without
relying on mechanical pumps or electricity. Engineers agree that this
is by far the best way to solve a leaky basement problem. Water
is diverted away, and not seeping through walls to be collected in a
basement sump. An exterior foundation drain will help to remove
dampness and mold
caused by moist walls. Our exterior Paraseal Membrane also reduces
radon gas from entering through porous block walls. Interior style
drains jack hammer your cement floor and allow radon to easily enter your home through the gap that is left in the installation. Much of New Jersey has high levels of Radon
present, making an exterior solution both more effective and more safe.
Doesn't your family deserve the peace of mind from an exterior
waterproofing system? Our articulated excavators allow for digging in
compact areas and also directly against foundations which is usually
needed when correcting a leaky basement.
Take
a tour and learn about the waterproofing process without any high
pressure sales or scare tactics. Our site is designed to educate. Once
consumers are made aware of the benefits, they easily choose an
exterior waterproofing solution because it is just better and also
healthier for your family.
Stop
water and soil gasses BEFORE they pour through your walls with an
exterior foundation drain. An exterior system will keep your basement
floor AND walls dry because it stops the water from pouring through
your block walls.
|
|
French Drainage Systems
- How they work- The purpose of a French Drainage System is to carry unwanted
free standing water away from a building, such as your
home. French drains are
commonly installed near the perimeter of a building at the
lowest point or anywhere where standing water is found.
The system may
terminate at any point where the water will not drain back
toward the house. The best approach is to connect to
a city storm drain,
where possible, to totally remove the water from the property.
A second best solution would be to run the water out to the
street or to a dry well.
French drains can be shallow or deep drainage systems depending on soil type and grade changes. However, as
with your plumbing waste drainage, French drains operate on the principle
of gravity. The drain must slope downward. The minimum recommended
slope is 1/4 inch per foot. If the landscape grade runs upward along
the French drain path you will have to dig deeper to maintain a downward
slope.
There
are many variables that affect how individual houses develop water
problems.
Often it is a combination of factors that develop over time. French
drains work by curing a symptom, not the cause. They extract the water
collected in the drainage pipes to an outside location away from the
area intended to be kept dry. It is always more beneficial
to divert water on the outside of a foundation wall before it ever
has an opportunity to penetrate the foundation. This method has several
advantages which include reducing or eliminating mold, protecting the
foundation from excess moisture, and also (usually), the benefit of
a gravity only system. |
|
Beware of slick salespeople that suggest
an inside French Drain to cure your basement water problems. It
is always more beneficial to divert unwanted water before it
has a chance to penetrate your foundation walls, allowing it to
flow away via gravity instead of using an electric pump
to remove the water from your basement sump pit. "Inside French
Drains" encourage the water to pour through your foundation walls
where it will collect in a sump pit. The only thing between you
and a flooded basement is that small electric pump and a steady
supply of electricity during the storm. Keep in mind that power
outages most frequently occur during a storm. Also, an inside French
drain does not "waterproof" your basement, but instead collects
the water and dampness inside your basement to be pumped out with
an electric pump. Both water and dampness remain inside your basement
with an "inside" French drain.
There is
a better solution!!!!
It's called an exterior French or Foundation
Drain, and this will keep the water out of your basement before
it ever has a chance to get inside. This method is far superior
because the water and dampness stay outside, and it needs no electric!!!
Installation: Installing a French
drain is usually a simple, but labor intensive project. Obstacles,
however, can make the project costly and time consuming. These include:
Decks, concrete walkways, driveways, tree roots, boulders, and underground
utilities. If you build a house, be sure to ask the builder to include
inside and especially outside French drains on your new house. They
may not seem important now, but as your house ages, water incursions
can change over time, and a cheap installation now may relieve expensive
headaches later. During construction, the cost of a French drain
is negligible. Spring for it. Demand it! |
|
Footing Drains will dry your basement
(French
drains). For
residential or other small-scale buildings, perforated 4 in.
(100 mm) plastic, ceramic, or concrete pipe is normally used
around the periphery (see figure 9). It is laid in a trench,
at the level of the footings, and protected from sediment with specifically designed wide roll filter
fabric.
The drains will collect rain water falling
within the catchment area or lower
the ground water level, thus reducing the quantity of water
affecting the wall. The collected water must then either drain
by gravity
(preferred) or be pumped to nearby storm sewers.
Footing drains (French drains). Perforated pipe is placed opposite the footing to drain
both ground water and excess water from periodic rain storms.
Such drains will reduce but not necessarily eliminate rising
damp in a wall.
When properly installed and sized, footing drains
perform well. They will positively drain water from the catchment area. Drains
can last indefinitely, but periodic inspection and clean-outs are
required to ensure that silt does not build up and that tree roots
or animals have not damaged the piping. |
Footing
drains are most practical for suburban sites or others where the
entire periphery of the building is readily accessible and positive
drainage is possible (i.e., pumping is not required). Urban site
can pose several complications including the inaccessibility of the
building periphery to trenching and inability to establish positive
drainage of collected water (pumps are often required).
Concrete Seepage tanks will disburse water onsite at an
elevation lower than your basement floor. |
|
| Our Bobcat compact track Excavators
have the distinct advantage over a traditional backhoe because they
can articulate their booms thereby allowing them to excavate immediately
adjacent to a building's foundation. This is critical in exterior
foundation drain installations which are frequently used to waterproof
a basement with a gravity type system. One of the many advantages to
installing an exterior foundation drain to remove water via gravity
is that it takes away the lifeblood of mold and mildew. Our French
Drain systems designed with Paraseal's combined rubber and Bentonite
membrane will not only remove the water seeping into your foundation,
but also remove the source for mold that is growing in your damp walls.
Studies have shown that mold spores can be harmful to the health of
a home's occupants, and also that by eliminating the source of water
completely can also kill the mold. Many businesses attempt to cure
a home's flooding basement with an "indoor" style French
Drain. This type of system lacks several key benefits of an exterior
gravity system. First and foremost, an interior type system encourages
the water to flow through your foundation walls which by definition
keeps the walls wet and hospitable to mold spores. An exterior foundation
drain properly designed will keep your home's foundation walls dry
and safe from the weakening structural effects of constant dampness.
Second, an "interior" French Drain doesn't actually get rid
of the water. Instead it directs the water into a small swimming pool
in your basement. Not only does this pose a potential safety hazard
for small children, but also it forces you to rely on electricity and
a mechanical pump to keep your basement dry during a heavy storm. Everyone
has experienced a power failure during a storm, and it's most likely
that a pump will fail when you need it the most. These are among the
reasons why an exterior gravity based foundation drain is a much more
efficient and reliable method for drying up your basement. Thirdly,
an exterior drainage system has the added benefit of also drying up
your lawn and landscape so that pets and children have a cleaner environment
in which to play in. No "interior" type drainage system can
accomplish all of that and operate with no moving parts, electricity
or maintenance!!! |
 |
|
Waterproofing a Basement
This house in New York had been getting water in the basement, burned out three sump pumps, and also had numerous wet spots in the backyard for days following a rainstorm. This wet soggy condition led to mosquitoes all through the summer months. Following a careful assessment of how to best solve the problem, we decided on installing an outdoor French Drain along the entire perimeter of the home in addition to several surface drains and a French Drain in the backyard. |
 |
 Sure it costs a little more, but isn't your family's health worth it? |
The first step is to excavate below the basement floor to the foundation. Next, the concrete wall is carefully cleaned and then waterproofed with a tar based substance. Filter fabric is then installed to protect the trench. A perforated PVC pipe is used as a conduit for the water to flow through, and then the entire trench is backfilled with plenty of 2 1/2" stone. The entire run of perforated pipe is continuously sloping downhill to remove the unwanted water twenty four hours a day, seven days per week. This entire system works by gravity –NO PUMPS or ELECTRICITY to burn out or go out!!! Perforated piping is then fitted
where it will ultimately be protected by filter fabric and surrounded
on top and bottom by 2 ½" stone to act as a conduit for any water to flow through on its way to the sloping PVC pipe. The pipe will always slope away from the residence as it carries away the unwanted water. The end result is a basement that is dry by way of a gravity system that removes water twenty four-seven without allowing it to penetrate your basement walls or requiring the use of an electric sump pump to remove the water.
|
 |
|
| |
A deep trench is dug from
the end of the house towards the city storm drain. Notice
the amount of water draining away from the house through this
deep trench. Again, filter fabric, perforated PVC pipe,
and 2 ½" stone are used to carry the unwanted water away
from the home. Ultimately, the drain is completed
with the end result being a bone dry basement by way of an outdoor
French Drain.
This basement is now ready for a children's
playroom which includes carpeting without worry of future
flooding!!!
Among the advantages of an outdoor drain
are that no water seeps through your home's foundation walls,
thereby eliminating water damage to your foundation. Additionally,
an outdoor system does not rely on a sump pump to remove water
collected in your basement. Water is routed away from
your house before it even gets to the basement. When considering
an indoor type French Drain, ask yourself if you would rather
rely on a sump pump and electric during a storm, or if you
would prefer good old gravity to remove the water instead. Pumps
and electric can fail, but gravity is always there. Additionally,
this type of French drain has the added benefit of removing all
roof water through the leader system and also in quickly
drying out the rest of the property and landscaping so that
the children and pets can play outside without getting muddy!!! No
indoor only drains can accomplish that, too. Dollar for
dollar, an exterior French Drain provides a much better value
because it not only removes water from your basement, but also
from your lawn areas!!!
|
 Water will drain by gravity away from this home's foundation. |
|
Ultimately, the drain is completed,
the property is graded, and a Paving stone patio is installed
in the rear yard. A tremendous value has been added to
this house by making the wet basement now useable for a play
room and also in drying out the rear soggy yard!
The hassle of burning out sump pumps,
occasional flooding, and constant dampness are all gone thanks
to a GRAVITY based foundation drain at this home.
|
|
|
Seepage pits are required by many townships
 |
Our 337 Excavator easily lifts this
concrete seepage pit to place it at a precise elevation to disburse
water collected onsite. This tank is designed to allow water
to flow out all sides and also the open bottom. Several feet
of stone are placed below and around the tank as well as in a rectangular
area over six hundred cubic feet. This design allows for storm
water run off remaining onsite without causing flooding problems to
either the property owner or his neighbors. This is accomplished
with a large area of excavated earth filled with loose
stone and into which water is directed for infiltration into the ground. Many
towns today will require storm water to remain onsite when building
a new addition to an existing home. It is an environmentally friendly
manner to dispose of your storm and drain water without adversely affecting
one's neighbors. |
|
|
 |
Exterior Drains can also solve water problems
in
the lawn as well.
This home in New Jersey had a saturated
backyard even during the summer months. Mosquitoes were a major problem
due to this persistently saturated condition. Following numerous quotes
from area landscapers who simply wanted to add top soil, the homeowner
called upon Bobcats for Hire to solve the water problems plaguing their
property. A comprehensive design was proposed that included a combination
of French drain and also connection of leader drains. |
|
Upon excavation, we found a large
contributing factor to the problem which could only be solved using
our gravity based system of drainage. The neighbor's sump pump and
roof drainage water were being surreptitiously directed to the border
of the properties with nowhere to go except in the lawn. (See pictures
1 and 2 above)A long trench had been excavated approximately four
feet deep and diagonally across the property so that the water could
be routed to a city storm sewer instead of this customer's backyard.
The drain is also protected with Typar filter fabric and backfilled
with 2 ½" crushed stone. Two pipes are used as conduit for
the water. The lower pipe at the bottom of the trench is a four inch perforated PVC
pipe used to carry the seeping water to the storm basin. The visible
pipe is also PVC, but solid to carry away the water intruding from
the neighboring property directly to the storm sewer.
The entire trench is then wrapped in the protective fabric where
lawn will be replanted. The end result is a dry back yard with
the added benefit that the basement sump pump now runs much less
frequently than it did prior to the installation of the drainage
system in the backyard.
This entire system runs by gravity and never needs a pump or electricity!
Professional grade filter fabric is being used above to protect
the trenches from sediment buildup. This fabric is shipped on a
fifteen foot wide roll to ensure that the new drain is properly
protected. The fabric allows water to flow through to the
drain, but keeps all sediment from contaminating the stone. Filter
fabric is the best way to ensure that your drain will perform for
many years to come.
|
|
|
| Our Bobcat compact track Excavators
have the distinct advantage over a traditional backhoe because they
can articulate their booms thereby allowing them to excavate immediately
adjacent to a building's foundation. This is critical in exterior
foundation drain installations which are frequently used to waterproof
a basement with a gravity type system. One of the many advantages to
installing an exterior foundation drain to remove water via gravity
is that it takes away the lifeblood of mold and mildew. Our French
Drain systems designed with Paraseal's combined rubber and Bentonite
membrane will not only remove the water seeping into your foundation,
but also remove the source for mold that is growing in your damp walls.
Studies have shown that mold spores can be harmful to the health of
a home's occupants, and also that by eliminating the source of water
completely can also kill the mold. Many businesses attempt to cure
a home's flooding basement with an "indoor" style French
Drain. This type of system lacks several key benefits of an exterior
gravity system. First and foremost, an interior type system encourages
the water to flow through your foundation walls which by definition
keeps the walls wet and hospitable to mold spores. An exterior foundation
drain properly designed will keep your home's foundation walls dry
and safe from the weakening structural effects of constant dampness.
Second, an "interior" French Drain doesn't actually get rid
of the water. Instead it directs the water into a small swimming pool
in your basement. Not only does this pose a potential safety hazard
for small children, but also it forces you to rely on electricity and
a mechanical pump to keep your basement dry during a heavy storm. Everyone
has experienced a power failure during a storm, and it's most likely
that a pump will fail when you need it the most. These are among the
reasons why an exterior gravity based foundation drain is a much more
efficient and reliable method for drying up your basement. Thirdly,
an exterior drainage system has the added benefit of also drying up
your lawn and landscape so that pets and children have a cleaner environment
in which to play in. No "interior" type drainage system can
accomplish all of that and operate with no moving parts, electricity
or maintenance!!! |
|
|
Another Soggy, wet lawn that is now
dry
 |
Due to a long, steady sloping
rear property, this lot on the left had been plagued with a continually
wet back yard. This lawn stayed wet even several weeks following
a rain. In the spring of 2003, Bobcats for Hire had been
asked to diagnose the problem and to provide a solution to the
drainage issues. Following our proposal for a solution, this
homeowner opted to have his cousin dig up the yard with a rented
excavator. (See photo below) Following two days of
destruction, the homeowner called Bobcats for Hire to repair the
damage and complete the proper installation of the needed drainage
system. To the left is a photo of a trench running across
the length of the property. The black filter fabric is used
to protect the drain, while the perforated PVC pipe and 2 ½" stone
are used as a conduit to carry all unwanted water off the property. The
trench is later backfilled with stone and covered with the filter
fabric for protection. Due in large part to the depth of
this installation, the backyard lawn had become noticeably dry
even prior to the completion of the work!!! The children
can now play safely in the backyard without later bringing mud
into the home. |
|
(Rollover Image with mouse for
`After') |
BEFORE: Neighboring
properties pitched to this low, wet spot
AFTER: Soggy lawn and Mosquitoes
are history!!!
This house in Hackettstown, NJ was the lowest property of all
the adjoining lots. Water flowed onto this lot from all
directions, and during even moderate rainstorms, the backyard
became an unwanted swimming pool. This backyard never dried
out, even in the summer months. In this case also, the
homeowner started the project only to find that it was much too
large for a do it yourself type project. Our expert design
routed all of the water by gravity to a large collection basin
where it was then pumped out to an existing city storm sewer
across the street. This design worked flawlessly with the
result being a very dry lawn in this same area! (rollover
picture on left) Everybody was happy to see both water and mosquitoes
disappear.
|
|
Persistent Flooding year 'round
(Rollover Image
with mouse for `After') |
This flooded property suffered
from a constant stream of water draining from the neighbor up the
hill. Water accumulated in this area all year long not only
due to the long uphill grade in the background, but also because
the neighbor's sump pumps discharged water almost continuously. Bobcats
for Hire successfully designed and installed a French Drain system
to remove the unwanted standing water from our customer's property. Our
rubber track equipment easily moves about the muck where a wheel
type loader would get stuck.
|
|
(Rollover Image with mouse for
`After') |
A combination of an underground
an French Drain system and surface drains were used to dispose of
the unwanted water at this home.The neighbors property still delivers
a steady stream of unwanted water, but now that water is carried
away just as fast as it appears leaving our customer's property and
driveway dry. The "wet" and "dry" pictures of this job were
taken three weeks apart. |
|
Be
smart and do the job right the first time. We have installed many
exterior gravity systems to homes
that already had and "interior" style drain that just didn't
do the job properly.
Add substantial value to your home by
installing an exterior French Drain system to dry up your basement,
lawn, and Landscape!!! |
|
|
