Installing A Floor Drain In Your Basement: What You Need To Know

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If your home is experiencing a lot of excess water in the basement every time it rains, you may want to do more than just run a couple of dehumidifiers all the time. Properly constructed and well-placed floor drains can eliminate excess water, but if your basement does not have any, it may be time to install one or two. Here is what you need to know about constructing and installing floor drains in your basement.

The Entire Floor Has to Be Ripped Up

You have probably never noticed that most basement floors and their drains are constructed such that the floors slope downward toward the drains. If your basement floor is quite level, then your entire basement floor needs to be ripped up. The floor would have to come up anyway to install the pipe connections between the drain and your city sewer pipes.

Excavation of the Earth Underneath is Next

Your contractor and his or her crew will have to dig up the earth underneath the recently removed basement floor next. You will need a downward trench that eventually connects to your underground plumbing/city plumbing. The crew may carry several wheelbarrows of dirt out of your basement before they are ready to lay the drain pipes for the new drains. They may also decide, if there is room, to move the dirt off to the side walls of your basement to be reused after the pipes and the drains are installed.

Laying the Pipes

A plumber or general contractor will bring in pipes that are just large enough to accommodate the drain openings. These pipes must also be able to connect to your main sewer line underground. When the pipes are all connected and sealed, they are placed in the prepared trench. Finally, the pipes are connected to the main sewer line leaving your home, or to the city's sewer line directly. When all the pipes are connected and sealed, then the drains are tested because you do not want to fill in the trench and redo all of that concrete flooring only to find out the drains and plumbing heading away from the drains are not working.

Filling the Trench Back In

Once it has been confirmed that the drain pipes are all working perfectly, the excavated dirt is shoved back into the trench with the exception of any dirt used to create a slight embankment. The slight embankment surrounding the drain will support all of the concrete, which will also bank slightly three-hundred-sixty degrees.

Constructing the Concrete Floor

The final step is to cover the drain openings and then pour concrete to create a new basement floor. Your contractor will make sure the floor slopes the way that it should while at the same time making sure the new concrete floor is thick, durable and quick-setting. Once the concrete is set, the drains are uncovered and your new basement floor is ready to go and ready to drain through the openings in the floor. If you have problems with your new drain clogging, contact a professional, like The Drain Doctor, to ensure your new basement drain properly drains. 


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