March 2024 - Draincom

Repair Weeping Tile System To Protect Your Foundation

Posted on March 18, 2024March 28, 2024 by draincom

What Exactly is a Weeping Tile? A weeping tile might sound like an outdated term, but it plays a crucial role in modern home drainage systems. Essentially, it’s a porous pipe used for underground water collection or discharge. Originally made from terracotta tiles, today’s weeping tiles are typically plastic pipes with small slits or holes designed to redirect water away from your home’s foundation, preventing water from seeping into your basement. To protect your basement’s foundation, you should repair weeping tile system when necessary.

Why Weeping Tile Systems are Vital for Your Home

The main purpose of a weeping tile system is to protect your home’s foundation and interior from water damage. It collects excess water from heavy rains or melting snow and guides it away from your home, typically discharging it into a storm drain or a sump pump system. This is especially important in regions prone to heavy rainfall or in areas with high water tables.

Signs Your Weeping Tile System May Need Repair

Water in the Basement: The most obvious sign of a failing weeping tile is water or dampness in your basement, particularly after heavy rainfall.
Soggy Ground: Persistently wet ground near your home’s foundation can indicate that the weeping tiles are not properly draining water away.
Efflorescence: White, chalky residue on your basement walls is a sign of mineral deposits left by evaporating water, suggesting moisture penetration.
Mold or Mildew: The presence of mold or mildew in your basement can also signal high moisture levels, potentially due to inadequate drainage.

How to Repair Weeping Tile Systems

Repairing weeping tile systems can range from relatively simple maintenance to more complex replacements:

Inspection & Cleaning: A professional inspection will help identify if the weeping tile is clogged. High-pressure flushing can sometimes clear blockages.
Partial Weeping Tile System Replacement: If damage is localized, you may be able to just replace the blocked or damaged sections.
Complete Weeping Tile System Replacement: If the system is old or has extensive damage, you will likely need to replace the whole system.

In older homes that may not have had weeping tile on the exterior but do have damp basements or worse, a new weeping tile can be laid on the interior of your foundation.

The Role of Professionals in Weeping Tile Repair

Weeping tile pipe is a pipe that is hard to inspect. The plumbing code does not require any clean outs on weeping tile; remember this pipe goes around the whole exterior of your foundation and is not easily accessible even for the pro’s!

Some weeping tile maintenance, like minor cleanings, can be DIY. However, most of the time, if you need major repairs, you will need a professional. A professional basement inspection will determine if your weeping tile system is properly designed, installed, and functioning. An inspection will help you determine if weeping tile repair is necessary or if there is another culprit that is allowing water to seep into your basement.

Educate Yourself and Seek Expert Advice

Understanding your home’s weeping tile system is the first step towards maintaining a dry and healthy basement. Regular inspections and maintenance can prevent major issues, but when in doubt, consulting with a drainage expert like Draincom can provide peace of mind and ensure that your home remains safe and dry. Basement flood prevention in Toronto and the GTA is our specialty. Give us a call for a free inspection and quote. 905-238-6800

Basement Flooding After A Heavy Rain?

Posted on March 15, 2024March 28, 2024 by draincom

A lot of people have this experience: A heavy rain and your basement turns into an indoor pool or moisture soaks the walls. If this is a recurring event in your home, you’re not alone. Basement flooding after a heavy rain is a widespread issue in Toronto and the GTA. It’s not all about your basement getting flooded, but also the mold and other problems it causes. Let’s explore the reasons your basement might be prone to flooding after a heavy rain.

Why Is My Basement Flooding?

There can be several reasons for basement flooding after a heavy rain; it could be improper grading, foundation cracks, or the type of soil around your home, to name just a few reasons. Water always finds a way, if there is one. Understanding the cause of your basement’s vulnerability to flooding is crucial to fixing the problem.

What To Do When You Know A Storm Is Coming

If you know bad weather is coming, especially a storm, it’s the perfect time to make sure your sump pump is plugged in an working properly. Also make sure your alarms are working properly, and that includes not only the alarms for your sump pump and backwater valve, but also your smoke and carbon monoxide alarms. Being prepared is the key to weathering out the worst storms in your area.

What To Do First After a Heavy Rain Flooded Your Basement

Always remember, safety comes first. Make sure the area is safe to enter. Watch out for electrical problems! Turn off the breaker to your basement or call an electrician to make sure it’s safe to enter. Any appliance, including your water heater that is connected to where the flooding occurred might put you in danger. If you smell gas or your carbon monoxide alarms go off, call the fire department and leave your home until they deem it safe to re-enter.

Document everything with photos before you do anything. You may need them for insurance purposes.

Then you can start removing important items and placing them in a dry space. Next you can start the water removal process, dry out the space, and then assess the damage to your belongings. Acting quickly can greatly reduce the impact of basement flooding after a heavy rain. Waiting too long creates more problems making it unsafe and requiring the help of professionals. And remember, it doesn’t take long before dangerous mold starts to form.

The Importance of a Basement Inspection

A thorough basement inspection by a licensed basement flood prevention company is your next critical step. This isn’t just about damage control, it’s about getting to the root cause of the problem so you can prevent your basement from flooding after a heavy rain. A professional inspection will uncover hidden issues, such as minor cracks or poor drainage, that contribute to flooding. Using an infrared camera to spot cool areas in your basement, then checking those areas for moisture will find issues that aren’t immediately apparent. So make sure the company you choose has this technology. Draincom is one such company in Toronto. You can contact them at 905-238-6800 or visit their website. They have been serving Toronto and the GTA for more than 20 years and are licensed, insured and use the latest technology to inspect your basement.

Installation of a Sump Pump

Installation of a sump pump is a vital part of basement flood prevention. A good inspection includes making sure you have a sump pump that is capable of removing water based on the size of your basement and that it is well-maintained and in good working order. A sump pump alarm is also recommended. A sump pump is your basement’s best friend, actively removing water to keep the area dry, even in the worst storms the Toronto area has to throw at you.

Capping and Pipe Severance

Your basement flood prevention inspection may also reveal the need for capping and pipe severance. This process involves redirecting your downspouts away from your home’s foundation, reducing the risk of water buildup around your foundation that can lead to seepage into your basement.

Installation of a Backwater Valve

A basement inspection might also reveal the need for the installation of a backwater valve. It prevents sewer backflow, which can be a common issue during heavy rain. By ensuring that sewage only flows away from your home, you protect your basement from a much worse problem than just rain water flooding your basement. Backwater valve installation is one of the most important and smartest investments a house owner can make. There are alarms for this as well to alert you when it isn’t working properly.

Enlisting Draincom’s Expertise

With a team of experts skilled in basement waterproofing and plumbing solutions, and more than 20 years of basement flood protection experience, Draincom is the company to call if you live in Toronto or the GTA, Draincom conducts comprehensive basement inspections, using the latest technology to identify the best preventative measures, and will help you implement solutions like sump pump installations, capping and pipe severance, and the installation of backwater valves. Plus, their services are eligible for the Basement Flooding Protection Subsidy Program, if you qualify, offering financial relief in the form of rebates from the city of Toronto.

Click here to contact Draincom or call us at 905-238-6800 to schedule your free inspection and quote.

Draincom Homestar and Google Review

Posted on March 8, 2024 by draincom

Beast basement waterproofing flood prevention company service Toronto GTA — Click the image or call 905-238-6800 for a free inspection and quote

Draincom is the best basement waterproofing and drain repair company in Toronto and the GTA. We have more than 20 years of experience providing Basement Waterproofing, Foundation Crack Repair, Drain Repair, Sump Pump Installation, Backwater valve installation, Plumbing Services, Sewer and Drain Cleaning and more. We offer you a free basement inspection using the latest technology and a free no-nonsense quote without hidden fees or costs. Call us at 905-238-6800 if you have questions or fill out this form to schedule your free inspection. You can check out Draincom reviews on Homestars here.

Draincom reviews on Google…

Google Review 1: “Today I got an amazing job done by the DrainCom crew. Highly recommended. Excellent value they provide based on the job quality and price. Just in one day they repaired and replaced the main sewer drain from inside the basement to the main city drain with all the excavation, pipe bursting, filling it all back. Particularly my expectation was exceeded in regards to how well the outside excavation pit was filled. The ground level is the same as it was. Usually when excavating so deep (it was over 10 feet) it is hard to put it back as it was and it’s either a bump or a pit. Plus it’s a winter time. Well done guys.”

Google Review 2: “We had a drain clogged in our basement, and reached out DrainCom to come in and provide an assessment and quote for the work. We had great experience with DrainCom from the initial call to the finished product. They arrived quickly to identify the issue (roots blocking our pipe) and provide an outline of the work to be done (digging down to replace the pipe, replace with new pipe for main drain, reconnect shower pipe and reinstall toilet flinch). Through camera, I was able to understand extract area that needs to be fixed. Communication was very clear and excellent. Work was completed very professionally and workers were very efficient and they finished the work by noon. We would definitely recommend DrainCom to anyone with plumbing needs!”

Google Review 3:”DrainCom team turned what started out as a stressful and challenging situation (drain collapse) into a positive experience. There commitment to professionalism, state-of-the-art techniques, and exceptional customer service makes DrainCom the go-to company for drain and sewer cleaning needs. I wholeheartedly recommend DrainCom to anyone seeking reliable and top-notch services.”

Google Review 4:”DrainCom was professional and efficient from start to finish. Vlad, Talin, and their team were excellent with customer service and the work done. I highly recommend DrainCom.”

Google Review 5:”We were extremely pleased with the work we received with DrainCom. Vlad in particular was excellent. We had tree roots growing through the pipes in front of our house and had the pipes dug up and replaced. We reached out to several plumbers. Vlad provided the most detailed assessment by far before providing us with a quote. Other companies told us we would have to take down our porch before completing the work but Vlad realized that this was not actually necessary, saving us a huge amount of time and money. The quote was very reasonable and less than other companies. The work was done on time and with no surprises. I would strongly suggesting using draincom for plumbing work.”

Google Review 6:”Excellent service!!! My sump pump died and weather forecast promised rain. So this was kinda emergency situation. They came on Saturday 2 hours after I called them. Work was done quick and very accurate!!! A+++ service !!! Highly recommend!!!”

Google Review 7:”We had a small flood in our basement, and contacted DrainCom to come in and provide an assessment and quote for the work. Our experience with DrainCom was highly positive, from the initial call to the finished product. They arrived quickly to identify the issue (roots blocking our pipe) and provide an outline of the work to be done (digging down to replace the pipe and installing a backwater valve). Communication was excellent, especially with their office – they kept us informed throughout the project about what would happen and when, and answered all our questions. We thought we might lose a tall cedar during the digging, but they were able to work around it. The workers were determined to finish the work in one (long) day, as it was going to rain the next day. They had to remove a door and appliances during the project, but returned the next day to put it all back in place. We would definitely recommend DrainCom to anyone with plumbing needs!”

We have more than 80 Google reviews and more than 850 reviews on Homestars with an average rating of 9.9/10.

Call us at 905-238-6800 if you have questions or fill out this form to schedule your free inspection.

Month: March 2024