Modern French Drains – Much More Than Just Waterproofing

French Drains have to handle more than just water problems. Water causes more problems than just flooding. Mold and mildew grow in damp, dark, and cool places, which make basements and crawl spaces the major points in the home that suffer the most. Controlling moisture and humidity in the basement is key to creating the healthy and safe place in the home that Henry French envisioned.

What You Can & Can’t See… Mold & Mildew

MildewMold French DrainsBe aware that the dangers lie mostly where you cannot see! Whatever the amount of use your basement gets, it shouldn’t be a place that makes you sick. The air quality in homes is a problem that exist in homes of any age, caused by flooding, simple acts of water moisture, and more severe problems like leaky foundations from foundation cracks and holes. Mold and mildew are the two most common problems found in homes today.

Mold and mildew are really “sugar-coated” terms to describe in essence to what it really is. Mold and mildew is actually a type of fungus that can cause a stuffy nose, irritated eyes, skin irritation, wheezing in your respiratory system especially to those with asthma, allergies and other breathing complications. Detecting mold and mildew is the easy part. The smell of decomposing organic material caused by the growth of mold creates a very unpleasant musky odor. This is especially noticeable in the confined quarters of basement & crawl spaces that supply over 40% of air to the first level of your home. The only way to control the mold is to make your home or basement unlivable to mold and other fungus. And it is surprisingly simple, just keep it dry and this eliminates all the possibilities of mold and mildew growth.

Radon Gasses – Even More Dangerous

RadonPro French DrainsAnother common, and unfortunately more dangerous, problem that exist in homes today is Radon gasses. Though information and causes of Radon gasses has only been discovered in the last few years, Radon gasses have existed since the invention of homes and basements themselves. Radon is a cancer causing natural radioactive gas that is invisible to the human eyes. Even worst, Radon Gasses have no sent, or taste. The presents of Radon gas can pose extreme danger to your entire household. Radon is the leading cause of lung cancer to all non-smokers. According to the National Academy of Sciences Radon causes about 21,000 deaths each and every year, and growing.

Radon gas enters the basement environment and is easily circulated through the floors above through ventilation ducts, natural gaps in floors, and just about any space that is not protected by polyethylene vapor barrier products. Select Basement Waterproofing understands that this information is scary, and is not meant to lead to a scare tactic to sell or persuade our clients into unnecessary products and services but is strictly sited to inform our clients and future clients aware of the current dangers that have been recently discovered in even the newest home construction, old buildings, and even commercial offices.

Radon gas can only be detected through the use of high quality air quality analyzers, which are expensive but are available to the public for use. Select Basement Waterproofing has all of the necessary tools to inspect and detect these problems so there is no need to go out and purchase these tools unless you absolutely feel the need to do your own home inspection but due to the extreme consequences of these gasses it is recommended to leave it to a basement professional like Select Basement Waterproofing.

Iron Bacteria – Manganese Living Organisms

IronBacteria French DrainsThe presence of high levels of iron or manganese in ground water and becoming more common in wells, often gives growth to an organism called iron bacteria. Iron bacteria are living organisms that produce a deposit as they grow. These deposits of Iron Bacteria actually clog filters, plumbing components, and contributing to staining.

While at times it may not be possible to remove or eliminate all of the iron bacteria, it can be concentrated and controlled through the use of our designs with Grate Drain.

Grate Drain French Drain Waterproofing Systems – Best Of The Best

gdinstall e1350389621785 French DrainsInspired by original design by Henry French, Steve Andras who founded Grate Products after 30 years of continuous refinements that were all designed to help homeowners achieve a healthy living environment. Each step in this natural evolution developed new ways of addressing the problems of an untreated basement. He continues to oversee its success and evolution as the premier basement waterproofing products in North America.

There is only one French drain system available on the in the basement waterproofing market today that is designed to defend your home against all of these things mentioned above. Select Basement Waterprofing uses the highest quality system, the Grate Drain, warrantied to outlast any solution and provide the best drainage period. The Grate Drain system and products is hands down the top of the line basement waterproofing solution.