When a house is full of humidity due to infiltration or capillary rise, there is an effective solution to remedy this called the drainage. He can be peripheral or interior when the first solution is not feasible. This is no small feat, and it requires a indisputable know-how. For it to be effective, it must be done by a professional. So let’s see what exactly is the house drainageits usefulness, in which cases it is necessary, what is the extent of the work to be planned and how much it costs.
What is House Drainage?
Drainage is a process that involves protect a work against the damage caused by the accumulation of runoff water. All types of ground can be confronted with it, but the houses built on impermeable ground are particularly exposed to the risks of damage due to the runoff of water along the peripheral walls and which, while accumulating, form pockets of stagnant water in the immediate vicinity of the constructions. The water then infiltrates the materials which degrade.
L’humidity can in the medium term make a habitation totally unhealthy. Occupants are exposed daily to unpleasant odors as well as to mold responsible for health problems. Excess humidity in a house is therefore considered a scourge, both for the construction and everything that equips the dwelling and for people.
If you encounter moisture problems due to water infiltration through the walls of the basement and/or the ground floor, you should always start by identifying the origin in order to ensure that drainage is absolutely necessary. When it is essential to proceed with the collection of underground water in order to evacuate it – because what must be avoided is that it reaches the foundations – then drainage must be carried out.
It should be noted that a drainage system must be planned upstream of the construction of a new house when, thanks to a preliminary study, a risk of accumulation of runoff water is highlighted. It is then carried out at the same time as the earthworks which costs much less than the old one. But it is also possible to carry out work on a existing structure. In this case, it is necessary to carry out preliminary studies and diagnoses in order to determine the type of foundations and to opt for the most suitable drainage system.
House drainage: the different solutions
You can use external drainage or internal drainage by installing a drain in terracotta, concrete or even PVC, for example.
Peripheral drainage or external drainage
This solution makes it possible to drain the ground in order to protect the house. This consists of laying a drain (either rigid and smooth, or flexible and corrugated) after the digging a trench away from walls. It is a perforated tube that is buried in gravel around which a geotextile is installed. Gravel and geotextile are the essential protections of the drain against its clogging by the earth and against the roots of plants.
Standing water under the ground is collected by the drain and then evacuated to an area away from the house. In some cases, in addition to laying a drain, the buried walls of the house must be treated. It should be noted that the water tables are not affected by the drainage of course.
Internal drainage
If the peripheral drainage is not feasible, the interior drainage is the solution which is essential so that the water which flows on the slope of the ground and passes under the house is channeled and no longer stagnates at the level of the foundations. . This process avoids the water infiltration and the capillary rise. A trench must be dug up against the walls then a drain should be placed there to be connected to the rainwater network. These will then be removed via the public network.
Depending on the configuration, a sump pump may need to be installed. This is the case if the public water collection network is higher than the ground.
House drainage: how much does it cost?
The work required to carry out a house drainage requires a substantial budget. We must therefore start with have needs assessed, because if this operation is not absolutely necessary, it would be a shame to spend such a sum unnecessarily. It should be noted that these extensive works should be entrusted to specialists because their characteristics are linked to multiple technical constraints. While asking several quotes through a comparatorit is easy to compare rates and services.
The cost of the drainage which is carried out at the time of the construction of a house is included in the total price of the operation. As for the cost of the drainage work to be carried out in an existing house, it must be known before the opening of the site in order to be able to be budgeted. In any case, you should know that it varies according to the constraints, the type of terrain and its slope, the geographical area, the architecture of the construction, the type of drain but also the professional.
Anyway, expect a 4 digit invoice because the work is heavy (excavation, creation of a subgrade, installation of the drain, backfilling work, finishes allowing the drain to be concealed for a matter of aesthetics, etc.).
- For a peripheral drainagethe price is in most cases between €1,000 and €4,000,
- For a interior house drainageit is necessary to provide a minimum the 2 000 € but the price can go up in some cases up to €8,000 environ.
There areother processes allowing to fight against the problems of humidity and infiltration when it is impossible to resort to the various solutions of drainage. One can, depending on the case, opt for example for casing, geomagnetic treatment and other means of deep treatment. But again, it’s best to rely on a professional to find out what’s best for you.