Internal And External Drainage Systems - Which Is Right For You?

Drainage systems help your home by removing standing water from your basement. This kind of situation is a great breeding ground for pests.

Drainage systems help by removing water from your basement. When you've got standing water down there, it will attract bugs and create a perfect breeding ground for mold. Since the basement air rises and brings everything with it, you could easily find mold spores floating all over your home. In this article we're going to look at two waterproofing options - internal and external drains.

External Drains

External drainage systems work by drawing water away from your basement through a drain pipe that eventually leads to a storm drain. This is a highly effective system for getting moisture out of basements and keeping things dry. However, one of the problems with this type of drain is that it's not suitable for every house. You need somewhere for the water to drain away to. This means there has to be a storm drain that is positioned lower than your basement floor.

This type also often requires serious construction work. There has to be work done around the perimeter of the house, especially if the garage slab floors, driveways and other adjoining areas were improperly constructed. If you have an attached garage or crawlspace, it might be impossible to install an external drain entirely.

External drains also have a tendency to become clogged with dirt and debris. This is possible with internal drains as well, but it's especially difficult to fix when the drains are external. Finally, because of the work required to install them, external drain systems are more expensive than internal ones.

Internal Drains

If you don't have a storm drain to empty into, internal drainage systems are going to be better for your home. With this type, there is no external construction necessary. They just have to jackhammer your basement floor to create a trench, and then lay pipe and enclose it. In general, this is a much easier way to get a system installed and it is more cost efficient.

The only downside of internal drains is that they don't necessarily help with water that seeps in through the foundation walls. They'll keep basement slabs dry and cut down on moisture in the basement, but water will usually still come in from the soil around the house. However, with a little landscaping, you can limit the amount of water that seeps in this way. Make sure that your yard slopes away from the house and also that there aren't plant roots that come into contact with your basement foundation's walls.

Other options include combinations of both internal and external drains, and using sump pumps. Sump pumps help by removing water from the basement and they can be a great addition to any type of waterproofing system that you get installed.

Although waterproofing experts argue over which of these drainage systems is best (and there is no truly best answer for everyone), most these days prefer internal drains. They're easier to install, more cost effective and very good at keeping water out of your home. You can always talk to a waterproofing professional about which option they recommend for you.

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