Sorry about the post in the Roofing and Waterproofing section, i didnt see the Basement section.
Need more coffee


Hello,
I have corrected 95% of my basement water problem by readjusting the gutters and some landscaping in front of the house. I have made it about 2 years without water, recently we had a large storm with about 6" of water and i did have some water in the basement, not a lot but enough. I want to refinish my basement but will only do so once i have the water problem solved. My question - Has anyone used the beaver damn system instead of conventional drain tile? Does it work? Anyone with experience with this please feel free to respond.

 

vansickle,

The problem is they do work but you are talking about the water already getting into the basement for it to work. The other issue is that once they start to leak and you already have your basement finished, guess what you have to do then? I agree that those who install them give great guarantees but that doesn't include repairing what gets damaged in repair.

I urge the under-cement drain tile as the best option, even though this is expensive when installed by others. Along with good exterior improvements less digging out around your basement and applying a good rubber membrane coating to the block/concrete walls. The water that most have to contend with is from hydrostatic pressure. A sump pump basket alone is not a guarantee that this will resolve water infiltration in other areas of the home. A good drain tile system is virtually problem free as long as other exterior improvements have done. This means grade, gutters, downspouts, etc..

I'm sure others will give comment on the Beaver. Each has their own opinions, stories and of course site conditions and where they live will vary. I recommend drain tile systems to my clients as I don't want calls coming in saying they have problems after investing thousands of dollars on lower levele improvements. After all these years...not one problem!

You judge for yourself and good luck!