Q-We live in a house that is about 40 years old. We moved in about five years ago and have been troubled by dampness and water in our basement whenever there is a heavy rain and after a long period of rainy weather.
We have been told that the best way to solve our problem is to install a
”French drain” around the inside of the basement floor. Can you explain what this is and whether or not you think it will work?
A-This type of system is often installed in wet basements to solve the problem of underground water seeping in. Basically, it involves digging a trench around the perimeter of the concrete floor, preferably down to
the footing, and then laying lengths of perforated plastic drainpipe in the bottom of the trench. Next, this drainpipe is covered with gravel.
All these drainpipes should slope to a common low point so accumulated water can be drained away-usually by means of a sump pump that sends the water outside to a dry well or other safe disposal site.
For this system to be fully effective, the soil around the outside should slope away from the house on all sides and rain water (from roofs and gutters) should be carried several feet away from the foundation before being allowed to seep into the ground.
