French Drain

French Drain Systems for South Bend, Elkhart, St Joseph Basements

Dry Basement Solutions by Expert Waterproofing Contractors Indiana and Michigan

Different problems call for different tools to fix them. In the same way that we wouldn't use a hammer to pound in a screw, we wouldn't use generic piping to waterproof a basement.

At Nova Basement Systems, we have the basement drain solution you need to create dry, usable space in your basement or crawl space. We have specialized drainage systems that we customize for your unique problem -- no matter what that problem may be. For a free basement waterproofing quote, call or e-mail us today! Our installations take 1-2 days.

The WaterGuard® Drainage System

Illustration of an exterior French drain system installed around the perimeter of a home

Our most popular drainage system, WaterGuard® is the ideal solution for most basement waterproofing applications.

Unlike old-fashioned drain tile systems installed on the outside of the home, WaterGuard® is installed just underneath the perimeter edge of the basement floor.

 

WaterGuard® Specifications

  • Includes wall flange with 3/8" opening to collect water from walls -- There's no gap on the basement floor to let humidity into the space or to collect debris.
  • Able to waterproof concrete block foundation walls -- Weep holes are drilled at the bottom of the blocks to drain the hollow cavities.
  • Will not clog with mud -- The system sits on top of the footing, away from the "mud zone" underneath your floor. Water is collected without the risk of clogs that would halt your system.

DryTrak® Monolithic Floor Drain

Illustration of an exterior French drain system installed around the perimeter of a home
Illustration of an exterior French drain system installed around the perimeter of a home

As a baseboard drainage system, DryTrak® installs above the floor and along the inside perimeter of the basement.

If you have a monolithic foundation, meaning that your floor and footing were poured as one piece, this is the only drainage system that's appropriate. DryTrak® is also perfect for other applications when jackhammering the floor is not an option-- in basements with radiant heat, for example.

DryTrak® Specifications

  • Installs without jackhammering a drain channel -- Your monolithic floor (and your foundation footing) will not be damaged during installation.
  • Able to waterproof concrete block foundation walls -- As with WaterGuard®, weep holes are drilled at the bottom of the block to drain cavities.
  • Extremely unlikely to collect mud or debris -- As a sealed basement drain that is placed on top of your basement floor and against the wall, there is no opening for debris to collect in the system from the basement floor.

Other Drainage Systems

Along with our WaterGuard® and DryTrak® systems, we offer all of the following specialized drainage systems:

French drain for crawl space waterproofing SmartPipe:
Crawl Space Drainage
grated French drain system for waterproofing entryways TrenchDrain:
Grated Basement Drain
French drain with large openings to prevent clogging from iron ochre WaterGuard® IOS:
Iron Ochre System
wall flange designed to direct water to a French drain system FlowGuard:
Thin Floor System
crawl space drainage system in Wolfville

SmartPipe™

Perfect for the crawl space environment, this plastic piping system is designed to be installed in a drainage swale running along the perimeter.

Combined with a crawl space vapor barrier and sump pump, it will direct water underneath the plastic barrier to the sump pump, where the water is discharged from your home.

The SmartPipe™ system is the first custom-engineered crawl space drain on the market. With five perforated rows of drainage holes and a clog-resistant filter fabric, it's a cost-effective and long-lasting way to keep your space dry for the long haul.

grated French drain system for staircase drainage in Charlottetown, PE

Trench Drain

Many homeowners have concerns with water flowing in through exterior doorways, stairways, and garage door openings. A normal drainage system cannot address this problem.

For these situations, we recommend the TrenchDrain drain channel and grating system. This is specifically designed to intercept water at doorways and similar openings and direct it to your sump pump.

TrenchDrain resembles half of a piping system with a grate fitted snugly on top. The grate is flush with or slightly below the floor, where it can catch water entering from the outside.

iron ochre basement waterproofing system in Saint John, NB

WaterGuard® IOS

In some rare cases, homeowners with high iron levels in their water will experience a thick, reddish-orange substance oozing through when the basement floods.

This material is called "iron ochre", and it comes from both bacterial origins and from chemical reactions in the soil. It can easily clog your drainage system and stain your concrete, as well as anything else it touches.

WaterGuard®: Iron Ochre System (IOS) is the answer for homeowners with iron ochre in their ground water. This drain is specifically designed with wide openings and a completely removable lid that will help your system avoid clogging and provide clear access for maintenance.

basement wall drain system in Truro, NS

FlowGuard

Installing a drainage system along the footing is the way to go with most perimeter drainage systems. However, when basement floors are very thin, it may be impossible to "hide" a normal drain under the floor in this way.

For homeowners with very thin basement floors, we recommend FlowGuard, along with a drain installed in front of the footing.

FlowGuard will collect water from the wall/floor joint, as well as the basement walls. It then directs it to a drain that's placed in front of your foundation footer and underneath the floor. It's the best of both worlds for an unusual situation.

 

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