A footing drain is very useful for all households. The footing drain is an underground drain that allows water to be pulled away from the building. If a footing drain isn’t installed during the construction of the house it can be installed later. This is especially important if water starts to enter the basement. Installing a footing drain can be made easy.
• If you’re unsure if the house has had the concrete sealed you should reseal the walls and footing.
• The pipe should be installed more than 3 feet below the footing. The PVC T-adapters should be installed at the footing level. Your pipe will need to have holes cut for this.
• After attaching the T-adapter to the drain you will need to have it around the whole foundation. Help brace the pipe every few feet. This can be done with any object like a rock or brick.
• After the pipe is in place cover it with rocks. This will help stop the drain from becoming clogged up. The rocks should be a minimum of a foot in depth.
• Finally backfill the newly installed footing drain and connect the pump.
Tips for Installing a Footing Drain
• Install the footing drain when building the house if possible.
• When measuring the perimeter of the basement you should leave a couple feet extra.
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