Basement Floor Drains

Our service professionals can replace and install a range of basement drain types, including:

• Box drain: These are the most common kinds of drains. You can easily identify them by a square or round grate cover inset into the floor over a box that holds the water until it can drain through your plumbing.
• French drain/interior perimeter drain: French drain basement installations are common in houses with frequent flooding problems. They fit into a trench around the perimeter of your basement and drain into a sump pump. These drains can be expensive to add to an existing house, but they’re ideal for mitigating flooding.
• Baseboard drain: Baseboard drains are more common in older homes prone to flooding. They channel collected water through a pipe inside the baseboard and drain out, usually through a corner pipe. They’re one of the least expensive drains to install new since they don’t require us to tear out flooring. However, they sit above the floor, and flood water doesn’t drain out of your basement until it reaches them. That means you can have inches or sometimes over a foot of standing water before it begins to drain.

There are multiple reasons for a replacement. We recommend replacing a basement drain if it will be simpler or more affordable than a repair.

You often see signs of backup because of:

• Hair, dirt, or other debris: Don’t wash or sweep debris into the drain. If you suspect you have a clog, try white vinegar and baking soda followed by hot water. If that doesn’t work, call the pros.
• Dry P-trap: A dry P-trap can release sewer gases into your home. Simply run a little water in the sink to fill the P-trap and seal out the smell.

Pour a few gallons of water down the drain to ensure it’s not clogged. You can use pipe-safe liquid drain cleaners to clean out clogs and keep buildup to a minimum. Clean your basement drain at least every three months and call for professional cleaning if you encounter major clogs.