If your basement doesn't have effective waterproofing, then you might struggle to keep the space dry. Water in and around your basement can also cause damage to other parts of your home.

If your basement does have water problems, then installing a French drain system might be a good solution. How do these systems work? What are the benefits of using them?

What Is a French Drain?

French drains divert water from one location to another. You can install these systems either outside or inside a basement to help keep water out of the room.

In either case, you start your build by digging out a trench. You fill this trench with gravel and install a perforated pipe in it.

This pipe will suck in any water around it. The pipe then carries the water out of your basement and collects it in a pit. At this point, the water disperses away from your building. Sometimes, you use a sump pump to empty the pit. However, you can also use a gravity-based system in some builds.

French drains don't waterproof a basement in the traditional sense. They don't stop water from coming in. They take water out before it can do any harm.

Why Install a French Drain?

A French drain can be a useful part of a wider basement waterproofing strategy. These rooms can be hard to waterproof effectively. French drains give you additional protection when other waterproofing measures fail or aren't enough to keep your basement dry.

So, if your basement allows in some moisture or water, then you have to consider where this water will go and what harm it might cause. If your basement floods, then you have an obvious problem to fix. However, some water ingress is less obvious.

For example, if your basement isn't waterproofed, then water might get into its walls. This can cause some structural damage; it also makes the space damp.

If water gets into the space from the ground, then this can cause a longer-term and more serious problem. If water gets into your home's foundations, then it can damage them. This affects the stability of your property. It is an expensive fix.

A French drain helps counteract these problems. For example, if your basement does flood in heavy storms, then the drain will get rid of flood water automatically.

Plus, these systems work constantly to deal with water you might not be able to see. They will divert water out of your basement and away from your home so that it can't cause any structural damage.

To find out more about French drains, talk to basement waterproofing services.