Foundation Drainage and Gutter Drain Repair in New Paltz, NY ... Prevent Your Wet Basement From Becoming a Flooded Basement

Footing Drains (foundation drains)

Footing drains are underground drains usually installed around the perimeter of your foundation. Their function is to collect stormwater and roof runoff and convey it away from your foundation, rather than collecting down there and eventually damaging the foundation walls. They’re standard for most houses, but other the years it’s easy for them to become damaged or clogged.

If you think you may have an issue with your footing drains, here are some common signs:

• White residue on basement walls, indicating water is seeping through
• Puddles or leaks in basements
• Soggy spots around the landscape

While footing drain work can be intensive, it’s important to take care of it as soon as you identify it. Standing water can seriously compromise your foundation.

Sometimes the solution is a simple cleaning. We’ll find the exit point of the footing drain and clear it from where when we can.

If the pipes are damaged, or not large enough for the volume of water they need to handle, the process is more involved. Excavation and replacement are usually the best solution for the cost and the long term viability of the drains.

Gutter Drains

Gutter drains are used to empty roof runoff from the gutters and return it to the ground, but sometimes, a standard gutter drain doesn’t do enough. Like footing drains, these should always be installed to convey water away from your foundation. But all too often, we see this situation.

Standing water next to your foundation can lead to long term stability issues. The best solution is to redirect that water away. Sometimes this involved a deep network of drain pipes not unlike footing drains. Other times, we tie them into a French drain or surface drain, which has the added benefit of drying up the landscape around it.