standard water control systems has specialized in providing solutions to below grade water problems since 1977 our drain tile systems have been installed in thousands of homes offices and commercial buildings every now and then standard water is called on to install one of its systems in a unique or challenging location let’s take a look at one of those special jobs here we have an elevator pit in an apartment complex you can see there is significant water damage in the bottom of the pit after heavy rains it wasn’t uncommon for the pit to be literally full of water if left untreated the water could rust the mechanical components in the pit or short out electrical systems making for an unsafe elevator that can’t pass inspection a University of Minnesota study concluded that the two most effective ways to control basement water problems our interior or exterior drain tile systems you can find a link to that study at standard water comm in the resources section it’s worth taking a moment to describe the differences between interior and exterior drain tile systems an interior drain tile system moves water within the building from places where it can do damage to the building to a sump where it can be pumped out an exterior drain tile system seals water out of the building altogether before moving into a sump to be pumped away from the foundation though far more expensive than an interior drain tile system an exterior system is generally considered to be the most effective way to waterproof a foundation in this elevator pit installing an interior drain tile system was not possible as it would have compromised the structural integrity of the elevator shaft floor after a consultation it was decided and exterior drain tile system would be the most effective solution to this messy problem the crew starts by saw cutting the concrete around the multiple drainage areas of the elevator pit they then jackhammer the concrete to remove it in one of the rooms support brackets for a pipe had to be fabricated then fitted to the wall before jackhammering as the old supports were set in the concrete floor above the drainage pit the old concrete is loaded onto trucks for removal and recycling even as the crew is digging out the drainage pit around the existing sump system there is so much water caught up in the dirt that they have to pump it out to continue digging the drainage pits must be dug all the way down past the footing to ensure proper drainage the dirt is shoveled into rubber buckets and loaded onto trucks for removal once the dirt is dug out the walls are cleaned and an adhesive primer is applied to the block an adhesive backed rubber membrane is then applied to the wall to seal out water a large dimpled plastic sheet is installed to direct the water off the wall and footing and into the drainage field rigid drain tile is installed at the bottom of the pits for this installation a custom sump basin was installed to accommodate both the volume of water and the depth of the drainage pit a steel cover is bolted to the top of the basin for safety purposes and to seal the system wheelbarrows full of washed rock are dumped into the pits to create a drainage field and filter medium that will allow water to flow into the drain tile system once the pits are filled a plastic vapor barrier is applied over the drainage field to prevent moisture from wicking up into the concrete after installation and to prevent the new concrete from infiltrating the gravel half-inch reinforcement bars are dialed into the old concrete at a maximum of two feet on center to tie the new slab to the old slab this added structural support is necessary as this elevator pit is in a parking garage and the new concrete must be able to withstand the weight of cars and trucks the new concrete is mixed on-site poured and professionally finished after the exterior drain tile installation the building manager was elated when after four days of torrential rains the elevator pit was dry when it normally would have two to three feet of water in it he was so elated in fact that standard water was selected to install drain tile systems in two more elevator pits in the building in situations where it is not possible to reach the exterior wall to waterproof it the solution is to apply an exterior hydrophobic urethane curtain to seal the wall our crew drills access holes through the wall inserts injection fittings and injects the sealant under pressure to the outside the hydrophobic urethane naturally flows and expands to seal the leaks and stop any water infiltration those standard water control systems is best known for its interior drain tile systems that have kept thousands of homes dry for decades they have the skills tools and experience to handle any below grade water problem
