What Are Footing Drains?

Definition

• Footing drains hold water that gathers at the foundation of a property. By reducing hydrostatic pressure at the foundation, footing drains block water from entering the basement. Instead, the drains transport excess water away from the house and into a drainage system that diverts it from the area.

Considerations

• Install a footing drain during your home's initial construction process when the basement is exposed. Consider the size and topography of the area. Analyze the slope of the land as well as existing soil conditions to help plan the best way to assemble the footing drain so water can be redirected. An understanding of these elements also helps you find any potential natural drainage systems in the area that can collect excess water. Without a natural drainage system, you have to create one.

Components

• According to "Waterproof Magazine," the most common footing drains involve burying a perforated PVC pipe below a few feet of washed gravel. The gravel should measure approximately 1 inch in diameter. A permeable filter lays above the gravel, allowing water to pass through while keeping soil at the surface. While straw filters often were used in the past, contemporary footing drains use geothermal textiles. Water enters the perforated PVC pipe, which sends it away from the property.

Sump Pump

• If you build a footing drain on sloped land, water drains through another pipe that directs it from the house. However, footing drains installed on flat land require sump pumps to redirect water. A sump pump typically is connected to your home's electricity panel. It is not unusual for a home to have one or two battery-powered back-up pumps in case of a power outage. A sump pump collects water from the footing drain and sends it away from the property to either a French drain or a storm-water drainage system.