Basement Water Management System Installation Process

1. The location for Sump Pumps and discharge line is determined.
   
   
2. Dust Containment process is executed.
   
   
3. The floor perimeter from wall is determined using an electric rotary hammer. An air hammer may be used if floor is 8" or thicker to remove existing concrete to expose footing. The footing is usually 4" below the slab and 4" to 6" wider than the wall (on the inside).
   
   
4. Once the footing is exposed, a trench is created along side of it to accommodate the filter fabric, corrugated pipe and a great amount of clean gravel.
   
   
5. The trench is lined with a high grade filter fabric, and a 4-inch perforated A.D.S pipe graded approximately 1 inch per 10 feet is placed inside liner and plenty of clean stones are added.
   
   
6. Drainage holes are drilled in every cell of the cinder block foundation. For brick or stone foundations, drainage holes are drilled every 8". For concrete foundations, a test is performed to determine if the wall has any hollow areas (which is rare). If no hollow areas are found, drainage holes will not be drilled. Creating drainage holes is a very important step that is often skipped by many waterproofing companies. Drainage holes relieve the foundation walls from hydrostatic pressures and keep your walls dry.
   
   
7. A drainage board is installed to drain water that comes from the drainage holes or from the wall into the Basement Water Management System. After drainage board is installed, an additional layer of clean gravel is placed in the trench.
   
   
8. A 6 mil vapor barrier and mechanical spacers (# 5 rebar) are installed. The vapor barrier prevents the concrete immediately above the system from getting damp or wet. The rebar reinforces the new concrete that closes the system.
   
   
9. The trench is closed with a high grade concrete (Portland, gravel, and sand, and not bags of ready mix) at least 3" thick. Hand trowelling is performed for a smooth finish to match the existing concrete floor.
   
   
10. All debris caused by the installation is cleaned and removed. Driveway and walkways are also cleaned.