Have you discovered a flooded detached garage floor after a hard downpour? This might happen in the late winter or early spring as the snow starts to melt.
The roof and walls of your garage are in good condition and do not leak. So, what exactly is going on here? It’s possible that your detached garage’s weeping tile is missing or has become clogged.
When the water table rises, Weeping Tiles collect the water and redirect it to a safe discharge location around your garage. They guard against damage to your garage foundation and prevent groundwater from leaking and accumulating on the garage floor.
We’ll explain why you need Weeping Tiles around your detached garage and how to install them in this article. So, let’s start discussing:
Table of Contents
What Are Weeping Tiles?
Weeping tiles are porous pipes that are used to drain water from beneath the ground. When terracotta tiles were used for drain pipes, they were given this moniker. Plastic pipes with weep holes or small openings are now commonly used to divert water away from the house.
The notion behind weeping tiles is actually fairly straightforward. The plastic pipes are buried in a trench around the house’s perimeter or under the basement floor, holes facing up.
As the ground level increases, the water pours into the pipe through the openings. The water then flows down the inclination of the pipe, either away from home or to a sump pump, where it is sucked away.
Installation Process Of Weeping Tile
Weeping tile installation can be strenuous. So, hiring a professional is strongly advised. A waterproofing business can evaluate the right slope, materials needed and provide a warranty if any difficulties emerge later on, in addition to having the necessary equipment.
The following information may help you better understand the process and prepare for any preliminary work requirements:
1) Dig A Drain
Around the exterior perimeter of your home, dig a broad trench. It should descend to the footings with a slope of one inch every eight feet. Plants and shrubs in the dig area must be relocated, and any excavated soil must be put.
Because the tile and gravel take up so much of the trench, you’ll have a lot of it leftover once the job is over. Consult your contractor on how to get rid of any leftover soil.
2) Add Granite Or Gravel
The trench’s bottom should be lined with two or three inches of washed gravel. It’s ideal to use granite or river gravel smaller than an inch in size because it won’t break down over time. This natural filter will allow water to drain without clogging from organic particles.
3) Install The Pipe
Because of its longevity and ease of maintenance, rigid PVC pipe with pre-drilled holes is the most popular. Roots and obstructions can be avoided by covering the stone or wrapping the pipe in landscape fabric. It will be easier to maintain in the future if a clean-out joint is left above ground.
Easy access can be achieved by covering the pipe and filling the trench with gravel or a combination of sand and gravel. Gravel, dirt, and sod will totally hide the weeping tile and give a foundation for landscaping.
How To Install Interior Weeping Tile?
In the case of interior weeping tile installation, you also have to cut through the concrete. The basement floor is cut out with a circular saw with a concrete blade and a chipping hammer.
The hole should be wide and run the length of the foundation. To get to the gravel below, remove all concrete slab parts. Then, where the concrete has been removed, dig a trench one to two feet deep. When you reach the footer, stop digging.
1) Install Gravel And PVC Pipe
Although there will be some gravel beneath the concrete floor, you will need to add enough washed gravel to fill the excavation area to the bottom.
A fabric-covered PVC pipe with holes or slits, similar to an outdoor installation, should be utilized to allow for drainage while resisting clogging. Place the slots upward, cover the full perimeter with weeping tile, and terminate at your sump pump.
2)Pour Concrete
Cover the entire trench area with gravel once the tile is linked to the sump pit. Allow a day for it to settle before pouring the concrete and smoothing it with a trowel. Both exterior and interior weeping tile installations, as you can see, are time-consuming.
Unfortunately, this can be pricey. Interior weeping tile is half the cost of outside weeping tile and eliminates the need to remove vegetation or other impediments. The good news is that once the job is done, you’ll be able to enjoy a dry, trouble-free basement for years to come.
Final Verdict
When installing weeping tile around a detached garage, the best time is when the garage is being built. You’re already excavating the grade.
Digging the trench around the garage foundation at the same time is a good idea. You’ll also know exactly where the foundation wall stands on the footing and how deep the slab-on-grade foundation is if you do it this way. It takes a lot of time and effort to install weeping tiles around a garage.
Installation errors might lead to expensive and time-consuming repairs later. As a result, hiring a professional plumber and using high-quality materials is a good option.
You must know a few things, including weeping tile’s depth and distance from the other layers, before putting them around the garage. That’s why it’s better to hire a plumber or professional to install the French drain.
