When a house is full of humidity due to infiltration or capillary rise, there is an effective solution to remedy this called drainage. It can be peripheral or interior when the first solution is not feasible. It is not an easy task, and it requires an indisputable know-how. For it to be effective, it must be done by a professional. So let’s see what exactly house drainage consists of, its usefulness, in which cases it is necessary, what is the extent of the work to be planned and how much it costs.
What is House Drainage?
House Drainage is a process that consists of protecting a structure against the damage caused by the accumulation of runoff water. All types of ground can be confronted with it, but houses erected on impermeable ground are particularly exposed to the risk of damage due to the runoff of water along the peripheral walls and which, while accumulating, form pockets of water. Stagnant in the immediate vicinity of buildings. The water then infiltrates the materials which degrade.
Humidity can in the medium term make a dwelling totally unhealthy. The occupants are exposed daily to unpleasant odors as well as molds responsible for health problems. Excess humidity in a house is therefore considered a scourge, both for the construction and everything that equips the dwelling and for people.
If you encounter moisture problems due to water infiltration through the walls of the basement and/or the ground floor, you should always start by identifying the origin in order to ensure that drainage is absolutely necessary. When it is essential to proceed with the collection of underground water in order to evacuate it – because what must be avoided is that it reaches the foundations – then drainage must be carried out.
House drainage: the different solutions
You can use external drainage or internal drainage by installing a drain in terracotta, concrete or even PVC, for example.
Peripheral drainage or exterior drainage
This solution makes it possible to drain the ground in order to protect the house. This consists of laying a drain (either rigid and smooth, or flexible and corrugated) after digging a trench away from the walls. It is a perforated tube that is buried in gravel around which a geotextile is installed. Gravel and geotextile are the essential protections of the drain against its clogging by the earth and against the roots of plants.
Standing water under the ground is collected by the drain and then evacuated to an area away from the house. In some cases, in addition to laying a drain, the buried walls of the house must be treated. It should be noted that the water tables are not affected by the drainage of course.
Internal drainage
If peripheral drainage is not feasible, interior drainage is the solution to ensure that the water flowing down the slope of the land and passing under the house is channeled and no longer stagnates at the level of the foundations. . Thanks to this process, water infiltration and capillary rise are avoided. A trench must be dug right up against the walls and then a drain should be laid there to connect to the rainwater network. These will then be evacuated via the public network.
Depending on the configuration, a sump pump may need to be installed. This is the case if the public water collection network is higher than the ground.
