Sump pump in basement or French drains outside?

Question

Not sure whether to add a sump pump & French drain in the basement or to put a French drain outside the house.

I have 2 steps down from the outside of the house to the basement floor. House belongs to my parents and is full of their belongings. It would be a big job to clean out the basement (they will not give away any of their treasures) so I would be able to bust up the concrete to add French drains that empty into a sump pump basin.

Water is visible in the basement only during the heavy rain season (3 times/year). But rest of time, the basement smells moldy. Have a dehumidifier which runs - but everything in the house still smells moldy.

If I did it on the outside, at the lowest point, I would only have to dig 14 inches plus an amount below the basement floor (another 12 inches?).

If I put French drains around the house, how far away from the foundation can I go (flowers/shrubs next to house).

Answer 1

Depend on if you want to try to keep water out of the basement, or deal with it once it's in the basement. If you want to try to keep the water out (that's the best), here's what you need to do:

Starting at one corner of the house, dig out the basement wall all the way down to the floor slab. Clean the wall and allow to dry (tape clear plastic about 1 foot square to the wall. Let is sit for a day, then check behind the plastic. If it's dry it's ready). Apply a coat of coal tar epoxy to the outside wall from about 1-2" above the ground level to the overlap between the wall and the floor slab. Be generous with the coating, no voids. Backfill the hole, and begin your french drain when your within about 2 to 2-1/2 feet below final grade. Line the bottom and sides with a permiable filter fabric, then add a foot to 1-1/2 feet of gravel. Seal the top with the filter fabric, and finish topsoil to grade. Make sure your final grade slopes away from the house. Try to not have the french drain at the slab level for as long as you can. Repeat along the other sides of the house. When you get to the point where your french drain is at the slab level, offset it from the basement wall so the water won't run directly along the joint between the wall and the floor slab. Run your french drain out from the house at a place where you want to drain the water.

Lots of work, hope your up for it.

Answer 2

Sump Pump Vs French Drain

Answer 3

This Site Might Help You.



RE:

Sump pump in basement or French drains outside?

Not sure whether to add a sump pump & French drain in the basement or to put a French drain outside the house.



I have 2 steps down from the outside of the house to the basement floor. House belongs to my parents and is full of their belongings. It would be a big job to clean out the basement...

Answer 4

I think you know the easiest thing to do is keep the water from coming into the house rather than getting rid of it once it is inside. You can use ground drains with grates similar to floor drains rather than french drains. I have had better luck with this type of drain, or you can use a combination of ground and french drains, since you can run the pipes to the down hill side of the property and divert the water away from the house the up keep will be minimal.

Answer 5

John french drains do good in area that are high enough to drain . you have to have a place for the water to go with out flooding your neighbor. mold is a bad on health as you know.