We’re always striving to improve our systems. For example we developed our own patented product designed to facilitate the unrestricted flow of water from the wall, across the footing, and into the drainage field. It’s called Diamond Drainage Board. It’s unique raised diamond pattern offers many advantages over tubes, sheeting products, drainage channels and cove plate systems.
Tubes, Sheets, Channels, & Cove Plates
Tubes that run from the wall, over the footing, and into the drainage field are small enough that they can be plugged from mineral build up. They’re also susceptible to collapse under the weight of the cement.
Sheeting products work well to facilitate the free flow of water from the wall to the drainage field but they leave an open gap between the wall and the floor. This is where soil gasses and creepy crawlies can gain entrance.
Drainage channels sit directly on your home’s footing. There are several problems with this. There will only be a thin coating of cement over the channel, less than an inch. Secondly, your footing does not provide a smooth downward slope to the sump system so the water can pool in sections of the channel. Finally Water doesn’t stay in the channel exclusively. Water runs in, under, and around the channel which can cause pooling under the slab.
With cove plate, you have to put gravel on top of the footing to allow drainage from the block over to the drain tile. The gravel has to be at least an inch or inch and a half thick. In many older homes, the floor is only an inch and a half thick to begin with.
So, when you are done you have a bevel in the floor which is pretty inconvenient. Other versions of cove plate simply sit on the basement floor and attempt to direct water away from the wall when it has already risen to the surface.
Our Solution
To solve this problem, Standard Water developed Diamond Drainage Board that integrates the cove plate with the Diamond Drainage Board. The cove plate catches water coming out of the block and directs it to the Diamond Drainage Board which extends across the top of your footing. It has little diamond feet that keep it up off the footing about a quarter inch. This allows water to move underneath it over to the drain tile which carries it downhill to the pump.
This allows us to put the floor back just about as it was before we started. The diamonds fill in with cement so that gives us direct contact to your footing; giving you the same structural floor that you had to begin with. It’s better in every respect.
If you have a basement water problem Contact Standard Water Control today for a free, no obligation consultation.