Grate Drain vs. Floor Seepage - protecting against wet basements

One of the popular advantages of GrateDrain over other french drains is that it is specifically designed and installed to protect against floor seepage.

Floor seepage is when water pushes its way up through the floor of the basement. Cracks and separations can often make problems worse than they would be normally. However the problem that is causing the basement to become wet is the fact that water mass builds up under the floor of the basement.

As water builds, pressure is put on the underside of the concrete floor. As water seeks the path of least resistance, holes and separations are the first choice - but they're not always available - so water finds other ways in. The most common area that sees seepage is the perimeter around the basement; the gap between the wall and the basement floor.

Pressure can cause puddling in the middle of the floor, flooding, and wet spots around the perimeter of the basement.

How GrateDrain targets both, and Fixes them

GrateDrain, the french drain in question, has a bigger advantage of having holes on both sides of it. The holes are large and can accommodate large volumes of water. This is key to keep the volume of water under control under the basement floor. This is most importantly during a series of rain storms. The Grate Drain is installed so that the water drains into it inches before coming in contact with the bottom of the floor. This keeps the volume from building and building to the level of the footing and the floor.

This is important for a few reasons
1.) Moisture and water aren't touching the floor. This keeps puddling and floor crack seepage under control.
2.) It keeps water under the floor from jumping up on the footer and through the floor/wall gap.
3.) Volume is less shocking because it's under control most of the time - this is important for your drainage to be affective and also to increase the life of your sump pump.

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Related Reading and Links
Read about the Top 6 Basement Mistakes that contractors and homeowners make. See what other readers have asked in Safe'n'Dry Basement Blog's Reader Questions Section
Ask Pioneer Basement a question Directly on Pioneer Basement's Help Forums!

Back in Drainage Action after a week Vacation

I don't normally talk about personal things outside of work but I had such a wonderful time in Florida this past week relaxing and doing as little as possible.

It was however hard not to think about work while I was there. The sales on long sleved plad work shirts forced me into a short term future of dressing similarly to Bob Villa. I think a professional look at work will be an interesting change for me. Just need some dockers to finish off the look and I'm good to go.

(and no, I don't look anything like Bob.)

Florida, or so it seemed, is a continuous experiment with drainage. Everywhere you look there's water. Water on golf corses, end of property ditches to create motes, large land building for schools, homes, shopping centers, retainer ponds that hold the reditributed water from new developements, the examples of this endless struggle with the elements is apparent everywhere I traveled.

Saturated land, soggy grass, it's all part of the gig of building something on a swamp I guess.

So, home I come, to the land of snow, clay and sand. Drainage, wet basements, and flooding. Oh yes, I'm already busy putting together other posts in response to questions and search results to help you get the answers about your basement that you need.

Happy New Year (btw)!

Iron Bacteria

What is Iron Bacteria?
Iron bacteria are a natural part of the environment. These microorganisms combine dissolved iron or manganese with oxygen and use it to form rust-colored deposits. In the process, the bacteria produce a brown slime that builds up on drains, pipes, and plumbing fixtures.

Effects of Iron Bacteria
Iron Bacteria in wells does not cause health problems, but they can have the following unpleasant and possibly expensive effects: Cause odors, corrode plumbing equipment, clog pipes, clog drainage systems, and increase chances of sulfur bacteria infestations.

Prevent Iron Bacteria
Prevention is the best safeguard against accompanying problems. Iron bacteria are nourished by carbon and other organics, and it is essential that these are not introduced into any part of the drainage system. Because it is difficult to get rid of iron bacteria once they exist, it is best to isolate it and try to control it rather than trying to completely “cure” the problem.

Clogging Drainage Pipes
Iron bacteria can cause damage to pipes due to deposition of iron compounds, resulting in clogging tuberculation of pipes and red water.

Controlling Iron Bacteria
The iron bacteria does not use oxygen but rather it needs the carbon dioxide which it gets from the oxygen. For this reason it is not recommended to install a sub floor drainage system that has an open wall channel. The open wall channel will allow air to be introduced and help the iron bacteria to thrive.

When the contractor installs a sub-floor drainage system, he/she should install some type of wall protection at the same time. With an iron bacteria problem evident, GrateProducts LLC believe that a closed system is the best defense for minimizing and controlling iron bacteria.