French Drain Installation - Arid Basement Waterproofing

Arid Roughs

[@albertaoridge]

amazing video. these are the people that make our world a better place to live in. excellent skill you have

[@trangofast9692]

this is the first video that even mentions the water table causing hydrostatic pressure. almost all videos explain that a French drain system is needed because of rain water coming down from above. well done in my opinion as there is typically much more pressure from ground water than rain water.

[@AridWaterproofing]

Thank you Trango!

[@ialexei]

If you live in the NY NJ area, this is the company you should consider to install this type of system. They are not cheapest, but put in a stellar system.

[@randyhart462]

Nice video Jeff! Well done.

[@arthurrobinson4644]

Pretty insightful I feel like I learned the largest by watching it cuz it's good to know what consists of having a French game train is

[@tunkowens]

Great explanation, great video. Thank you. I need help in Westchester, NY.

[@AridWaterproofing]

+tunkowens we do work in westchester...call us!

[@stephanbertrand7036]

EXCELLENT video. I live on clay so my basement doesn't have much head room so lowering the floor a couple inches and installing French drain was well worth the trouble. Keeping the new poured concrete an inch away from the wall to catch all water if any is a brilliant idea. 👏

[@cashington5756]

My house sits in a clay bowl as well. The previous owners did a partial French drain in the worst moisture ridden corner, but it was not nearly enough. I'm having a foundation company come out and do the entire basement, as well as the crawlspace. The price tag is hefty but it will be so worth having any water sitting around my house pumped out to the city drain

[@cashington5756]

I think he mentioned it in the video, but the hydrostatic pressure not only pushes water into your basement, but will also push the wall itself inward (unless your home is one of very few that use rebar to reinforce the cmu blocks), causing cracks and eventually foundation issues that if left untreated can cause complete failure.

[@AridWaterproofing]

After doing this for three decades now, I've never seen the water pressure from the water table push the wall inward. The only time i've seen anything like that was with Ida in this video. kzbin.info/www/bejne/ppu1apVsmLCEeq8 But this was due to pure flooding, not the water table.

[@cashington5756]

@@AridWaterproofing Give me an email to send you pictures of the huge cracks on the long sides of my rancher's foundation. I had JES out to inspect and that's exactly what their rep told me. Perhaps you don't work on the east coast?

[@irockstar7352]

You have to put wheat holes in the corners. All corners leak from all four side.

[@falsealarmno]

If you put fabric on top of the gravel, then what is the poured concrete going to grab?

[@AridWaterproofing]

it grabs the existing concrete and rests on the trench of fabric and gravel. We make sure to compact the gravel down so it doesn't get undermined.

[@dhavalprajapati21]

Amazing video.Thank you for explaining the details. What would be the cost for this job?

[@AridWaterproofing]

roughly $5-6K

[@hollywoodwear123]

Wow!!The best and most detailed video I have seen on basement water proofing so far! First time I see filter fabric applied in a french drain, it makes so much sense since it would prevent dirt from clogging the drain after a while. I live in Kansas where we get a lot of rain during spring,when it rains I have a small area that leaks,could do this myself but I am not sure which filter fabric to buy,any tips?

[@ing1405]

🤦‍♂️

[@grumblyone3334]

Exactly what I was looking for. Thx for posting.

[@younome1845]

You did not put weep holes in every block cavity and mortar joints.

[@AridWaterproofing]

We are in business! You must have dialed the wrong number!

[@johnmilton2077]

good vid

[@irockstar7352]

What area do you guys live at? I need to come out there and do some work. You guys do not know what you’re doing.

[@AridWaterproofing]

You're funny!!

[@chrisnieves2882]

that is one ugly cut. even if cement is going to be put on. not a good job also no flashing was put on Omg you are killing me.

[@AridWaterproofing]

ugly cut? don't know what that means. maybe you didn't watch the whole video because i explained the use of flashing towards the end.

[@mikeez5455]

Looks like not enough weep holes. Everyone else does 3 per block plus every joint. This video is old, it's not done anything like this these days. Lots wrong here.

[@AridWaterproofing]

That's funny...haven't heard a peep from these people since we did the job 9 years ago. If "lots wrong here" I think they'd get water.

[@TiTiDutch]

Hi, shouldn't this be done from outside? why is it done from inside the basement?

[@AridWaterproofing]

When you have a high water table, you can only address it from the inside. We've waterproofed plenty of houses where homeowners spent the big money and did exterior French drains and they still got water. We did interior French drains and they never got a drop again.

[@kenhall1927]

Wow no mira drain not every wheep hole was drilled out or morter joints and lastly what did you use quarter of a inch of concrete hope the homeowner doesnt put anything heavy on that and your trench that was hammered out and dug out was no where near the actual size needed

[@AridWaterproofing]

Hi Ken, If you understand how the block wall was built, being staggered, you don't have to do every single cavity and every mortar joint. Our opinion is the less holes drilled into the foundation wall, the better. You do the occasional hole and if there is a problem area that needs every cavity drilled, then we do it in that particular area. However, a blanket, drill-every-cavity-in-every-block philosophy we don't subscribe to. We've seen where those holes have been detrimental to systems. Replacing other company's systems and seeing all those holes drilled led to dirt/mud pouring through those holes and it clogged up the French drain. We filled in those holes with cement, replaced the pipe and gravel and they never got water again. As for the concrete thickness, I could see how the video doesn't lend a good angle, but it's normally between 1"-2". It can't be the original thickness for certain logistical reasons, but we've been doing this for decades and haven't had people complain about the cement. To address your comments about every weep hole is sub floor, well, that's simply not true. When you have a monolithic poured foundation/floor, the first course of cinder block is sitting on the floor. That's one case, the other is when the first course of cinder block is filled up with cement. You're drilling into solid concrete, so in order to drain the wall, you have to go into the second course and therefore, above the floor level. As for the width of our trench, we've been doing French drains for over 5 decades and have a stellar reputation. I think the width of our trench seems to be just fine.

[@mattanderson5850]

Yeah but if you don't drill every cavity in every block, don't you leave water pockets? And the system with more holes drilled out clog up with dirt, why wouldn't your system with one hole do the same?

[@joshuarossi5667]

How much did you charge the customer to do that?

[@AridWaterproofing]

2023’s prices for aprox 30’ and a sump pump would be around $5k.

[@pabackwoodsboys]

i called the number on the video and it went to a Crusie line answering machine...are you no longer in business?

[@AridWaterproofing]

you clearly dialed the wrong number. 201-934-3400

[@AlyssaEssert]

Great video- very informative! We are starting our project this weekend. Is there a brand of filter fabric you would recommend and also how many weep holes do you recommend drilling into the block? Thank you!!

[@impactlife1875]

How much is the typical cost per linear foot?

[@AridWaterproofing]

After our base price, it's roughly $50 a foot.

[@Rick-tb4so]

Like your video but not your fabric filter under the pipe....always a chance of plugging the fabric..

[@AridWaterproofing]

Certain soils propose different problems...Most are not a problem and we use the fabric. Some houses we do not. Every house and condition is not the same so you have to be able to pivot when it calls for it.

[@irockstar7352]

Where is the mirror drain waffle board?

[@AridWaterproofing]

it wasn't used in this particular job. Not every house needs it.

[@MugenRicer]

How much money does this cost to do?

[@AridWaterproofing]

the range is roughly $3500-8000 depending on how many walls you do, how big the house is and access into the house.

[@relaxingsounds2829]

Great video!

[@jasminerae6242]

We just got this done to our basement and the installer put this plastic thing that sticks up like a wall but it’s in between the cement and the foundation wall. Can anyone explain to me what this is ? And also can we put up walls to cover everything , including the sump pump ? ( but still have a way to access to the pump of course)

[@Mark-fg9pf]

That is the dimple board that allows the concrete floor slab to make contact with the block wall while maintaining a path for water to run down the wall and get into the system. I think this installation should of did dimple board a and not left a 1 inch gap. That dimple board is designed to make contact with that block wall and give it support. Great video otherwise.

[@chrisdesimone4249]

In Passaic CO NJ, will give you a call on January

[@alt2584]

Great Video, Very well explained!

[@BryceCruzman]

Would you feel confident if the homeowner then finished the wall with drywall on furring strips after the drain was put in? What if water is seaping through the walk about 3 feet up from the ground?

[@AridWaterproofing]

I would feel confident. We bled the blocks so there wouldn't be any build up from the water table in the cavities. One issue though that people do have with water coming in from up top is that homeowners neglect to pitch their grade away from the house and keep their leaders and gutters clear. Water accumulating up against the outside of the house is usually the culprit of water coming down the wall from up top, post French drain installation.

[@andrewt1711]

Dude, you are supposed to install the French drain OUTSIDE of the basement.

[@AridWaterproofing]

With all due respect, you probably don't do basement waterproofing for a living in NJ/NY area.

[@MaDGriZz78]

Good work but it is CRUCIAL to add some sort of access to the pipe on EVERY side of the wall so if there is a clog you are able to access the perforated pipe and flush it clean to the sump. Otherwise when it does clog because its not a matter of time when it will, you will have to crack into that floor again.

[@AridWaterproofing]

You can get into the pipe with a snake through the PVC pipes coming into the pit. However, we do put cleanouts since this video was made.

[@alty79]

How would you do this with a monolithic poured footer/floor?

[@AridWaterproofing]

Very carefully...There's a certain way of doing it to make sure the house is stable.

[@alty79]

Is it called a box ledge system?

[@hymansahak181]

By far one of the most informative short videos on this subject. I have a question though. How can I know if my french drain (outside the house as it’s a new house) is connected to my sump pit or if it’s connected to the old city sewer lines (even though it’s a new house, the street is very old with old sewer lines). I’m asking as my sump pump works almost every minute when it rains and I’m not sure this is normal? Did my contractor not connect the french drain to the old city sewer lines? Thanks!

[@AridWaterproofing]

There would be a pipe coming in perpendicular from the wall. In my video, at 2:05-ish, you see the PVC pipe entering on the left side of the pit and that’s the little run of about 5’ that went down that wall. When I see footing drains from the exterior enter sumps, you’d see it entering at 12 O’clock (if you’re looking at a clock) if that makes sense. Hope that helps.

[@TheJoejoez]

I have something like this. How can I put up drywall over this? Do I just put on inside of the French drain with construction adhesive?

[@AridWaterproofing]

You have to put it to the inside of the gap. Don't cover it! and yes you can use liquid nails and maybe some masonry screws at each end of the sill plate and one in the middle.

[@djbobbyoPhiladelphia]

dude where is the mirra drain. where does the water from the weep holes go. how come no mirra drain.... i guarantee this basement leaked like a river............ let me know .

[@AridWaterproofing]

Hey dj Bobby o, if you saw where the weep holes were drilled, you would have noticed that it was below the floor level, no mirra drain needed, dude!!! If they were above the floor level then yes, flashing/mirra drain of some sort would be needed.

[@Gustavo-oh4zh]

Price for this job

[@AridWaterproofing]

roughly $5-6k

[@natrosenberg5165]

Seen a lot of information on the installation of these systems. My question is: is there an advantage to leaving the cove gap versus a plastic or flexible diverter? Almost everyone else I look at uses a diverter "flashing" rather than leaving the open gap.

[@AridWaterproofing]

The difference is that if water comes through the wall up high (even if you have weep holes drilled) or from a window (that has a well) and down the wall, and you have the flashing in place, the water will most likely roll on to the floor. If the gap is there, good chance the water makes its way into the French drain. That's the whole purpose of the 1" gap/floating floor/cove gap.

[@jeanalexandre1105]

You guys should have used a dimple mat in front of the weep hole

[@AridWaterproofing]

We use a plastic sheeting that serves the same purpose when the holes are above the floor level. You can see the ones drilled in this video are below the floor surface.

[@Mark-fg9pf]

I do like the dimple pad as well as it helps make contact with the block wall and the floor. Your weep holes are in the gravel layer so no problem there I just like the support for the wall that the dimple board provides instead of just a 1 inch gap. Great job. @@AridWaterproofing

[@waynehenson1094]

How much for the 2 walls? Impressive video.

[@AridWaterproofing]

average footage for 2 walls is 50 feet, so with a sump pump, a ball park is $4000-4500.

[@Armineh11]

Please make more videoes..

[@kelvinaquino1410]

Great video!!!, i have a question, do I also have to put gravel under the pvc drain pipe?

[@AridWaterproofing]

We don't necessarily put gravel underneath as step in our installation, but certainly gravel gets underneath the pipe as you backfill the trench.

[@k4sarg]

Excellent video.

[@HarrisonHess]

What type of flashing do you use if you have radon?

[@AridWaterproofing]

A flat sheeting kind of flashing so you can run a thick line of silicone and adhere it to the wall to try and make everything airtight.

[@FlowtnWitWalden]

Wouldn't it be ideal to divert the water from the outside of the basement wall? instead of ripping up a good foundation? Just asking because I have the same water issues in my basement and need to do something soon. I'd just rather dig around the outside of the basement wall and install drainage at the footer if possible.

[@AridWaterproofing]

When you're dealing with a high water table area, like we are in the greater NYC area, the only permanent way of relieving that hydrostatic pressure is with an interior French drain. We've done plenty of houses where the homeowner spent the big $$, had their yard ripped up, to only still have the water enter the floor/wall joint.

[@chrisdesimone4249]

I agree with that comment just from hearing other nightmare stories@@AridWaterproofing

[@AridWaterproofing]

Hey dj Bobby o, if you saw where the weep holes were drilled, you would have noticed that it was below the floor level, no mirra drain needed, dude!!! If they were above the floor level then yes, flashing of some sort would be needed.

[@darcyf7069]

I’m planning on doing this with a poured concrete basement. Would there be any differences other then no holes

[@AridWaterproofing]

nope....exactly the same.

[@nicoletriplett8690]

@@AridWaterproofing one of my walls is poured and one is block. Are you saying for the poured wall do not drill holes, just install the French drain. On the block wall drill holes and French drain?

[@constantlyodd5589]

Anyone know how much something like this would cost?

[@AridWaterproofing]

It ranges depending on how many walls you're doing. Average house is about $6500. This job in the video, in 2020, would be about $4000.

[@giannisf]

great video mister I know what you do I am michanologi engineering ,good job's ,hello from Athens

[@AridWaterproofing]

Thank you Giannis!

[@AmpDad87]

How much does this cost normally?

[@AridWaterproofing]

average house in NJ/NY area is $6-7k

[@nesitasju]

Hello Arid & Jeff, I wanted to know if there is someone I can speak to about this video? Please let me know. Thanks.

[@AridWaterproofing]

you can call us, 800-662-2743

[@mafioso123]

Arid Waterproofing are you still in business. I’m in Schenectady NY.

[@john1713a]

Thanks for the video. Could you elaborate on the flashing? I've looked into some other options but flashing seems like it would be cheaper. What kind of flashing do you use?

[@AridWaterproofing]

+John Hill Jr any kind of flashing is doable. one popular kind is waffle board or mira drain. But basically you need any kind of deflective sheeting that is impervious to water anchored to the wall.

[@tamart788]

How long did this project take?

[@AridWaterproofing]

1 day.

[@evenflow3256]

Where's the weep holes, footing and wall shield?

[@AridWaterproofing]

Take another look around :57 seconds, you'll see the footing, the weep holes and since the holes were drilled below the floor level (you could see where the block has been painted), no shield/flashing is needed.

[@indyosborn8113]

Hope they drilled weep holes in the block wall

[@AridWaterproofing]

right around 1:00 we show the weep holes.

[@kenhall1927]

Stop with the bs comeback that you dont need it because its sub floor any wheep hole is subfloor is done correctly you have to. Just stop cutting corners do it correctly

[@anthonyferencjr1130]

Now with the gap between the wall and the re cemented floor, will bugs of such sort appear? What about that funky basement smell?

[@AridWaterproofing]

Bugs don't hibernate 6-7 feet under the ground and come up through the gap. Only time where a smell might occur is when the homeowner has iron bacteria present in the ground, but that is not common.

[@anthonyferencjr1130]

@@AridWaterproofing Thanks for your response.. I just had my basement french drains covered, and added a second sump pump. It's a month now and notice a big difference now from before. I should have done this when I moved in a couple of years ago.. Thanks again..

[@ariesmars29]

Well, we had a wall done 15+ years ago and that 1 inch gap allows many spiders to be coming in and out of from behind the plastic sheeting and the holes drilled into the cinder blocks. I am highly suspect that those who did our French drain system did not do it correctly. Those holes should be below the floor not above the floor hidden by 5 inch high plastic! All these years later, it's just me and my mother and we have no paperwork on who did this job.

[@AridWaterproofing]

@@ariesmars29 i could assure you that spiders are not coming in from that 1" gap. Think of how deep your basement is. Average is 5-6 feet from grade level. Spiders and bugs do not live that deep into the ground. They are, however, attracted to the opening and are coming in elsewhere and making their way to it. As for the bleeder holes, if your first course of cinder block is filled with cement (a lot of them are!), you have to then drill the next course up, hence, the plastic flashing is needed. If you're in my area, give me a buzz and i can see what i can do.

[@ashleymarie735]

How much did that cost?

[@AridWaterproofing]

roughly $5-6k

[@jeanalexandre1105]

Landscaping fabric

[@AridWaterproofing]

yes...we use the lightest ounce fabric we can get our hands on. It helps with most soils.

[@DooleysHouse]

how do you know if the basement needs to take the steps against the Radon

[@AridWaterproofing]

+Joshua a simple radon test will tell you how many picocuries you have present. Usually the state limit is 4.0, anything over that, you need do something about it by law.

[@benodell9675]

Great job I'm going to start my project in a few weeks

[@AridWaterproofing]

How's it going? email me if you have any questions.

[@hippa2dahoppa2]

nice

[@kleo5187]

Dill out every cell and every mortar joint

[@NiceGuyJK]

Why is it that nobody does one of these videos in a home that does NOT have a footer?

[@AridWaterproofing]

Because well over the majority of homes, at least in NJ and NY, have a footing.

[@Type21978]

American Dry Basement Systems has a video of a perimeter drain installed in a basement without a footer. They install the perimeter drain a few inches further out from the wall to prevent disturbing the rock wall

[@NiceGuyJK]

@@Type21978 Thank you!

[@robertgore5460]

That 1 1/2 in drain pipe will never work

[@AridWaterproofing]

are you talking about the discharge line? why wouldn't it work?

[@Followmyleadk9]

@@AridWaterproofing hey guys about how far was your discharge pipe travel before the up turn to go up grade. I'm finish my system and go back and forth on if I should put my discharge pipe under ground? Also is that a little gaint sump pump you are using ?

[@AridWaterproofing]

@@Followmyleadk9 we usually keep the underground d/c pipe to about 20-25' with a 1/3HP. If it's more than that, jump up to the 1/2HP pump. Yes, we use Little Giant pumps.

[@howard977]

where is your back flow valve ?

[@AridWaterproofing]

The check valve is right there next to the float. Take another look ;)

[@jeffreydelvecchio5628]

This is not done in the correct manner, they are missing some VERY key elements. 1.) They absolutely should have installed a drain board material to cover the weep holes to help direct the water down over the footing into the pipes. Many companies don't do this to save time and money. 2.) They must put a 6 mil plastic vapor barrier on top of the filter fabric and stone BEFORE they re-cement the floor back. This barrier helps keep moisture from permeating through the concrete. It is in the building code for slabs. Again, companies don't do this to save time and money. 3.) The sump pump discharge should NOT be connected to the exterior roof leader drainage. Typically this discharges into the STREET and that is illegal and against code because it will cause icing in the winter months. However, if it discharges directly into a storm drain in the street via underground drainage, that's fine. If not, then once again, companies look for short cuts to save time and money. If there is no storm drain in front of the house, this sump water should be drained into s separate mini-dry well or drain-box on the property. Most companies DON'T do this. You get what you pay for when it comes to basement waterproofing. Buyer beware. My Credentials: NJ licensed building inspector and construction code official. Worked for very reputable waterproofing company that has been in business for 30 years and is NOT a franchise. Have seen EVERY type of system and have replaced many like the one above or at least fixed them because of short cuts taken by certain waterproofing companies.

[@AridWaterproofing]

Hey Jeffrey, Thanks for the comments. Let me try and explain a few things from our perspective. 1) When you drill the weep holes below the level of the floor, you do not have to use flashing. If they are above the floor level, then you have to install flashing. You're right, the flashing is to cover the weep holes and direct water down to the drains. In this particular case in Park Ridge, if you look at the video carefully, we were able to poke through into the cavities below the floor level. Sometimes, when the bottom block is filled with cement, you have to go into the second or third course and then, for sure, you have to use flashing on the wall. 2) On new construction, yes, there should be a vapor barrier but i can't tell you how many times we open up the floor and there's nothing. So, in theory, yes...in reality, it really doesn't matter. We do put down vapor barriers before we cement and we are also trying out adding a crystalline mixture that fills in the pours of the concrete to prevent moisture coming up through capillary action. 3) Through my experience, every town has there own rules, so some are ok with it going to the street and some aren't. As I said in the video, the homeowner's leader was going into a brand new 500 gal catch basin that they put in about a year ago. We tapped into it, at their request, and I only approved because it was a newly installed. I am highly suspect of original catch basins where homeowners have no clue the age of it. FYI, Haven't heard a peep from the homeowners in Park Ridge since doing the job. Our credentials: In business since 1963, family owned and operated waterproofed over 20,000 basements A+ rating with BBB impeccable online reviews.

[@Bellislawns]

damn. done wrecked that original comment like a wrecking ball!

[@mr.bigbrownbass9089]

B&B Drainage Solutions yup..! Some of these "bigshot" city inspectors think they know it ALL.. But, in actuality they are ball-busting-dipshits that know just enough to make themselves feel important.

[@chunkyfather29]

Shut that troll down!!!

[@DS-kn4bs]

@@AridWaterproofing when you think you know something but find out you don't AFTER putting your foot in your mouth 😂😂😂

[@omargvillacres]

Thanks for video! are you able to finish basement with a french drain? If so, how do you put walls up? if you leave that one-inch gap...

[@AridWaterproofing]

Yes, you are able to finish off your basement. You anchor your sill plate just in front of the 1" gap.

[@dougregula8497]

Totally wrong. No pvc, use corrugated pipe, need to come out at least 12-15 in. You have no uncoupling membrane so the water can channel from the wall into the drain. You never hard pipe the discharge into a gutter drain as this can freeze and expand- possibly destroying the entire drain

[@AridWaterproofing]

Sorry Doug, going to have to disagree with you on the PVC/corrugated pipe decision. I have to rely on our 40+ years of using PVC pipe and having hardly any issues. I've replaced a lot of corrugated systems in my decades of doing this and I get it, cheaper and easier to use. Two big problems, it's flexible and VERY difficult to pitch. We certainly put membrane when the bleeder holes are near the floor level or above but if you see, the holes are below the floor level, no need for membrane. As for the d/c line hard piped, if it's all pitched and no way water can sit, it cannot freeze.

[@brianc.3416]

Completely wrong. Do use filter fabric. Use only corrigated pipe, not the pipe he is using.

[@AridWaterproofing]

We've been in business for for over 60 years doing French drains and using PVC since mid 80's and have 5 star reviews....how long have you been doing French drains? I don't want to sound like a jerk but if you were in my shoes, I think you'd stick with PVC. The biggest franchised company in our country uses the corrugated PE pipe and they gave a 10 year warranty! What does tell you??!!!