Has the spring weather reawakened your desire to improve your property? Before starting any major landscaping projects, you may want to check on the condition of your French drains. Here are three good reasons why!
Understanding drains before taking action
Drainage of your foundation walls happens mostly outside your home. The function of a drain is to capture groundwater and evacuate it through a pipe before it seeps into your foundations or gets inside your house.
In short, French drains collect water and direct it to a sump or storm sewer so that your foundations (and home) will stay dry. The drain is covered with crushed stones that draw the water and reduce the pressure. Today, a geotextile membrane is also recommended to prevent soil from accumulating between the stones and preventing proper water circulation.
1. Do your drains pass the test?
Solution: Get them inspected
Your drains work hard year-round and can get worn. Sometimes prevention is the best remedy. A simple pipe degradation assessment will put them to the test and allow you to pinpoint any problem areas (if any).
Watch for the symptoms – high humidity levels in the basement, mold on the lower part of the walls, water stains on the floor or white crystals on the lower part of the foundation walls.
2. Do they occasionally get clogged?
Solution: Get them unclogged and repaired
Have clogged drains? The best way to identify the exact location of the obstruction is with a video camera inspection conducted by professionals. Once the clog is identified, thorough cleaning with water pressure or an auger should fix the problem.
A breakage may also be discovered during the inspection, which means repairs will be needed. The proper method (with or without excavation) will be determined base on the degree and nature of the damage.
3. Drains have a limited lifetime
Solution: Have them replaced
At some point, your French drains will just be worn out and need replacing. Has that time come for yours? Certainly, this is major work. However, the investment will assure you of many years of peace of mind – a drain will normally last from 25 to 40 years.
Plombier Expert: entrust us with your drain!
Is your French drain or storm sewer causing you trouble? Our professionals are specialists in inspecting, unclogging, maintaining and repairing the most troublesome drains. If needed, we can also install a membrane or a whole new drain.
As for your landscaping, rest assured that our team will take every care not to leave a trace.
