Grate Drain vs. Hydrostatic Pressure - water under the basement floor.

As I've talked about before, Hydrostatic pressure is the build up of pressure caused by water increasing in volume under the basement floor. Eventually water has no where to go but up and will force its way through gaps, cracks and pours into the basement or crawl space. There aren't many effective french drain systems that actively remove water build up from underneath a floor, however, one such system that does is the Grate Drain system from Grate Products.

There are a few key design advantages that the Grate Drain has over other products which will give your home an edge in staying dry and protected against future floods and leaks.

Grate Drain Pitch -
Pitching a system can have many benefits, however when talking about moving water, it plays one key role: Moving the water. Roman Aqueducts declined slightly over long distances to keep the water flowing in particular direction. This same method is used under the floor. The drain itself is pitched to encourage water to flow towards the direction of a sump location. This also allows the drain to remove water at different levels up to the underside of the basement floor. This gives you more protection and more of a chance for the sump to deal with more volume.

Volume of water - Large Holes
The key to any drain's success is measured by the volume of water it can displace. The more water you can get to the sump to pump out of the home, the better. Large punched holes on 2 sides of the Grate Drain allow for more water to enter the drain faster, and with less resistance. This encourages the water into the drain, and quickly carries it away to a strong sump pump to take care of removal. Remember, More Water Out - Less risk of flooding.

Speed and Control
So, more water volume moved faster protects against the basement flooding. Controlling the water, where it's going, and what options it has are also important to keep in mind. The sump location is specifically designed to be the lowest point in the system, most water will go there. But as water can continue to enter from around the foundation, the drain can control where this water ends up. Vapor barriers and high points in the drain catch water that might have found its way in. This forces the water to be collected from all angles, wall, floor joint, and under the basement. This then allows the sump to truly come in contact with all the water and moisture effecting the basement. The Grate Drain will deliver the water to this point, but it'll be up to the speed and strength of the sump pump to move the water out of the house faster than it coming in.

The Grate Drain is a powerful french drain system for the interior of your home. Protecting your basement or crawl space against leaks, flooding, or occasional moisture/humidity is what it is specifically designed for. This makes it an essential home improvement project for any home where the basement can be used.

Read more blog posts about the Grate Drain
Read more blog posts about the Grate Sump Sump Pump basin


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!

Grate Drain vs. Iron Bacteria - how it can help control and protect.

The GrateDrain french drain system has the best set of protections against iron bacteria issues in the basement.

The GrateDrain System installed on the inside of a Basement.

Iron bacteria is prevalent in America, with approximately 1 in every 5 basements having contact with iron bacteria in the soil it's a very real problem for households.

Iron bacteria, or iron ocher, can cause pipe clogs, kill sump pumps, and render most drainage systems completely useless. The Grate Drain on the other hand is one of the best solutions for waterproofing a basement while an iron bacteria issue is present.

Drainage holes
The openings in this french drain are specifically designed for iron bacteria situations. They are wide and smooth. Wide means it can carry more volume and it's harder for the bacteria to bridge the gap and cause clogs that hold on the exterior part of the drain. The holes themselves are punched out of the outer walls during the manufacturing. This makes the hole edges smooth and makes it harder for the bacteria to get a hold of the drain to gain in mass.


Built in Anti-Microbial
To futher defend the basement against the bacteria build up, this new version of the Grate Drain has had anti-microbial built into the plastic. If the bacteria reach the inside of the basement the drain's surface repells the substance to keep it from forming clogs or gaining mass. This helps to keep it at bay and makes it easy to flush out of the system.


Interior Slick Surface
The combination of the smooth punched holes in the drain and the smooth surfaces of the drain itself, helps to limit clogs and limit sediment from building up in the drain. If soil, sand, or silt find level resting places in any drain, this gives a rough surface for other silt and, in this case, iron bacteria to get a foot hold to build and expand.

The Grate Drain has other design elements that help it combat iron bacteria. Hopefully you've learned a little more about the drain product and some of the important features that can help to make the basement a safer and healthier place.

*Update 8/9/2010* I've continued on about some of the other features of the Grate Drain that help to limit and control the problems of iron bacteria: http://diyguyct.blogspot.com/2010/08/grate-drain-vs-iron-bacteria-2-control.html

For more information about GrateDrain visit: Grate Products: Basement Health
More information on Iron Bacteria and the Waterproofing Industry visit:
http://www.waterproofmag.com/back_issues/200904/iron-bacteria.php

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!

Rain in Wisconsin brings summer record for July and June

Storm Team 4 weather forcast today focused on the amount of rain that Milwaukee and Southern Wisconsin have seen over the past 2 months. With over 18 inches, and more than half of the summer days seeing rain, it’s going on record as one of the wettest summers in well over 100 years.

With this week not looking too much better, many homeowners in the Southern part of the state see an increased chance of flooding and basement issues.

This type of weather for Wisconsin keeps it on par with it’s neighbors in have unusually wet weather. State’s like Iowa are also seeing moisture and rain issues causing flooding along the Mississippi River and other areas further in land.

Read more about Iowa's Current Severe Weather Status for August 2nd 2010
Looking for Basement Waterproofing in Madison? Dry Otter Basement Waterproofing provides professional service to all of Southern Wisconsin - Take Advantage of the areas leading basement waterproofing experts and have them protect your space before, or after the basement flood. Basement Waterproofing Wisconsin
Basement Waterproofing Cedar Rapids
Basement Waterproofing Iowa City

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!

Iowa seeing Rain - Flood Watch in effect

KCCI posted a severe weather warning for Flash floods today adding to the possibility of more water damage in the state from this summer’s weather patterns.

Uncommon levels of moisture and rain in the state have added to problems along Mississippi shorelines and even further inland in towns like Des Moines and Cedar Rapids. Storms continue to rage through the state and onto Wisconsin and Illinois to, more than likely, cause problems.

"

Flash Flood Watch:

Issued at: 10:56 AM CDT 8/2/10, expires at: 7:00 PM CDT 8/2/10Flash Flood Watch remains in effect from 7 pm cdt this evening Through late tonight,
The flash flood watch continues for Portions of central Iowa, North Central Iowa, Northeast Iowa, Northwest Iowa And west central Iowa, Including The following areas, In Central Iowa, Boone, Dallas, Grundy, hamilton, Hardin, Jasper, Marshall, Polk, Poweshiek, story, Tama And Webster. In north central Iowa, Butler, franklin, Humboldt And Wright. In northeast Iowa, Black Hawk and bremer. In northwest Iowa, Pocahontas. In west central Iowa, Audubon, Calhoun, Carroll, Crawford, Greene, guthrie and sac.
From 7 pm CDT this evening through late tonight
Thunderstorms produced up to an inch of rain across the area this morning. More thunderstorms are likely to develop over northwest Iowa into eastern Nebraska later this afternoon. These storms will spread east this evening and overnight, Exiting toward sunrise Tuesday. Widespread rainfall amounts of 1 to 2 inches can be expected tonight. Local rainfall amounts of up to 4 inches could produce flash flooding because soils are much wetter than normal.
Flooding could occur quickly due to intense rainfall rates possible with this system. Storm sewers could become overwhelmed, Potentially Flooding Streets and basements.
Precautionary/preparedness actions,
A flash flood watch means that conditions may develop that lead to flash flooding. Flash flooding is a very dangerous situation.
You should monitor later forecasts and be prepared to take action should flash flood warnings be issued."

Looking for help with your flooding basement? Basement Solutions Waterproofing & Foundation Repair 
Basement Solutions provides Basement Waterproofing, Basement Leak Repair, and Wet basement solutions for before and after floods.


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!

My own basement stories. - Basement Workbench and Basement Floods

As I mentioned in my previous post I’m looking for your own Basement Stories. Things that you might remember, or currently use the basement for now, that have had an impact on your life.

For me, some of my best memories take place at my Grandfather’s workbench in the basement. That’s where we spend time building birdhouses, spice-racks, and fixing broken house hold items such as cabinet doors and broken bookcases. I spent a great deal of my childhood learning to use tools to fix things from that bench and still have fond memories.

Sadly, there’s always a twist to any basement story, and that’s normally when it floods. Both my grandparents and my mother’s basement flooded quite often. Many projects kept in the workbench room at my Grandfather’s house would be thrown away due to the water and lack of drainage. My Mother’s house (build in the 1940s) leaked from several windows in the foundation which led to countless hours mopping and bailing. Those leaks also caused a great deal of our belongings to be thrown away in the trash (including a leather sofa - that was a poor choice on my part to keep that down there).

I’ve already heard from a few followers on Blogged.com and Facebook. What’s your Basement Story? Leave comments - Best story I get will be publicly published on Safe and Dry Basement Blog :-)
Image thanks to The Model Citizen

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!