interior French drain systems
Most midwesterners are familiar with an exterior French drain system – also known as perimeter drain, drain tile, or weeping tile – that works to move water away from the exterior of your home. These systems are greatly impacted by the weather, with freeze/thaw cycles weakening areas, creating gaps, and eventually becoming plugged with debris, leading to water pooling and eventually seeping into your home.
DBS Repair installs interior waterproofing systems. These systems improve on the idea of a French drain – moving the system inside the wall, protecting it from elements and debris, and with a wall flange that captures seepage before it reaches the floor, and a debris-resistant profile that prevents clogging over time. The system sits below the slab and is invisible after installation, no raised track, no trip hazard, no disruption to your basement floor. Water flows through the system to a sump that effectively pumps the water out of and away from your home through a discharge line.
Interior Drainage:
The Most Effective Permanent Waterproofing Strategy
A French drain — also called perimeter drain, drain tile, or weeping tile, is installed where the foundation walls meet the floor. Water that wants to enter the basement due to hydrostatic pressure is captured at the wall-floor joint and directed by gravity to a sump pit, where a pump ejects it outside.
DBS systems improve on traditional French drains with a wall flange that captures seepage before it reaches the floor, and a debris-resistant profile that prevents clogging over time. The drain sits below the slab and is invisible after installation, no raised track, no trip hazard, no disruption to your basement floor.
Six Drainage Systems: One for Every Basement Condition
Not every basement has the same construction or the same water problem. DBS offers six drain systems, each engineered for a specific challenge. Your DBS Repair specialist will identify the right system during your free on-site inspection.
Most popular
WaterGuard® Below-Floor Drain
The most widely installed basement perimeter drain. Sits below the slab, captures both wall seepage and floor seepage, and directs water to the sump pit. Never obstructs the basement floor after installation.
For finished basements
DryTrak® Baseboard Drain Pipe
Designed to be installed without jackhammering the slab. Sits at the base of the wall like baseboard trim, capturing wall seepage and directing it to the sump system. Ideal for finished basements.
For thin-slab conditions
FlowGuard® Thin Floor Drain System
A low-profile drain system for basements with thin concrete slabs where standard drain installation would compromise the slab integrity. Engineered for minimal slab removal.
For iron ochre conditions
WaterGuard® IOS Iron Ochre Drain
A specialized version of WaterGuard engineered specifically for basements with iron ochre, a rust-colored bacterial byproduct that clogs standard drainage systems. The IOS prevents ochre from compromising drain performance.
For hatchways and entryways
TrenchDrain™ Grated Drain Pipe
A grated drain installed flush with the floor at hatchway door entries and stairwells where water infiltrates from above. Spans the entryway and connects to the perimeter drainage system.
Modular option
TrenchLock™ Drain Inserts
Interlocking drain inserts that can be arranged in custom configurations to address uniquedrainage needs. Ideal for utility areas, odd-shaped basements, and supplemental drainage points.
Thumbs Up forIntegrity
French Drain Installation
What to Expect
1.
Free on-site inspection and estimate
A DBS Repair specialist assesses your basement water sources, foundation type, slab thickness, and floor layout. The correct drain system is recommended and a written estimate is presented.
2.
Slab removal along perimeter
A narrow section of concrete slab is removed along the perimeter of your basement at the wall-floor joint to create the trench for the drain.
3.
Drain installation with wall flange
The drain system is set in the trench with the wall flange positioned against the foundation wall to capture all wall seepage before it reaches the floor.
4.
Connection to sump pump
The drain is connected to your sump pump basin. Water flows by gravity through the drain to the sump pit, where the pump ejects it outside automatically.
5.
Slab replacement and cleanup
New concrete is poured over the drain trench to restore your basement floor. The drain is completely invisible after installation. Site is cleaned before crew leaves.
Why Interior Drainage Outperforms Exterior Waterproofing
Works with Hydrostatic Pressure
Interior drainage manages water that enters due to hydrostatic pressure, the natural pressure of groundwater against your foundation, rather than trying to prevent it from the outside.
No Major Exterior Excavation
Exterior waterproofing requires excavating the entire foundation perimeter, disrupting landscaping and requiring days of work. Interior drainage is installed from inside the basement with minimal disruption above grade.
Captures All Water Sources
Wall seepage, floor seepage, cove joint leaks, and window well water are all captured by the perimeter drain and directed to the sump pump, regardless of where the water originates.
Lifetime Warranty
All DBS drainage system installations include a lifetime written warranty that is fully transferable to the next homeowner, adding long-term value and confidence at the point of sale.
Installation
The drain sits below the concrete slab. Once new concrete is poured over the trench, the system is completely out of sight and does not reduce usable floor space.
Works Year-Round
Interior drainage functions in all seasons, including during freeze-thaw cycles when exterior waterproofing membranes can crack and exterior soil drainage becomes blocked by frost.
Keep Your Basement Dry Permanently. Get a Free Estimate.
DBS serves homeowners in Duluth, Superior, Eau Claire, and throughout Minnesota and Wisconsin. Every free estimate includes an on-site inspection, professional consultation, and written proposal at no obligation.
See our Waterproofing System!
Basement Waterproofing
Homeowner Reviews
your neighbors are talking about us…
DBS Repair has been waterproofing, draining, and dehumidfying
basements in and around homes across Minnesota and Wisconsin,
from Duluth to Eau Claire, for nearly 15 years!
See what your neighbors have been saying about DBS Repair’s
basement waterproofing and encapsulation services.
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