There is more to crawl space waterproofing than the sump pump. The sump pump and sump pump basin or pit are just part of crawl space waterproofing. Making sure the water flooding into the crawl space has direct access to the sump pump is crucial. This is why the crawl space perimeter french drain is needed.
Crawl Space French Drain and Vapor Barrier
Many homeowners will install the sump pump but fail to recognize how vital the french drain and vapor barrier are in the waterproofing process. The crawl space french drain moves the water to the sump pump. The vapor barrier keeps the water contained to force it into the sump pump and also assists in humidity control.
Are you experiencing crawl space flooding? The french drain, sump pump, and vapor barrier are the best methods for controlling standing water.
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3 thoughts on “Why Do I need a Crawl Space French Drain”
Here in the NW Atlanta area, we have a lot of hydrostatic pressure causing water to enter the side and/or floor of the crawl space or basement. It often makes sense to install an interior french drain to channel the water to the sump pump and then out away from the foundation. Good explanation in this blog post, thank you Michael.
All the contractors that offered to make a french drain inside my crawlspace, install it above the foundation footing level. If there is no ground water coming up, and water slides in from the sides, does not it make sense to install the french drain below footing level? In that case, do I still need a moisture barrier?
We are typically dealing with flood waters at the surface of the crawl space and a footer drain does little to address standing water in a crawl space once the water reaches the surface depending on the type of soil you have in your area. We always recommend a properly installed vapor barrier as a part of a waterproofing and humidity control system. Here is a video that may help explain it further. https://youtu.be/iyJBPEK2CUQ. Hope that helps.