Rainy days can be both a good thing and a bad thing. It’s a great time to enjoy the warmth indoors. However, once you start noticing puddles inside your home, it can be a huge problem.

Sure, you can wipe the water clean, but it won’t fix the main issue. Wiping down a puddle is equivalent to sticking a Band-Aid on a leaky pipe— it’s only a temporary fix.

Basements are often the root of worry when it comes to flooding. It is underground, has little to no light, and the lack of ventilation can worsen flooding issues. Due to the humid nature of a basement, a flood can cause a myriad of problems such as water damage, mold growth, and expensive costs to cover due to the damage.

The good news is, there are various ways to waterproof your basement from flooding. You’ve probably heard of solutions for keeping your basement as dry as possible such as checking for cracks or leaks regularly, sealing cracks, and installing a sump pump.

Another thing you might not have heard about is weeping tiles.

What are Weeping Tiles?

Developed by Henry Flagg French of Massachusetts, weeping tiles are porous 4-inch pipes used for getting rid of underground water by providing a drainage point for the water accumulated at the base.

“French drain diagram” by w:User:24.57.242.6 – w:Wikipedia:Images_for_upload#French_drain_design_example (permalink). Licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons – http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:French_drain_diagram.jpg#mediaviewer/File:French_drain_diagram.jpg

The water accumulated is then ejected into a storm sewer or a sump pump under your basement. Back in the day, terracotta tiles were used for drainpipes but nowadays, plastic is used instead. The main goal of a weeping tile is to get rid of unwanted water in your home and prevent issues such as mold growth and pests.

Type of Weeping Tiles

There are two types of weeping tiles— interior and exterior. Interior weeping tiles are often used if an exterior weeping tile doesn’t work. This type of weeping tile is installed under the basement where the water is led to a sump pump. The installation of interior weeping tiles is similar to installing a sump pump.

An exterior weeping tile is used for managing water at ground level before it gets into your basement. The water goes into the ground, through gravel, then it goes into the drainpipe and away from your house.

Weeping Tile Maintenance

Weeping tiles, like all waterproofing methods, require maintenance. To keep your weeping tile system from malfunctioning, you need to make sure that you check the tiles regularly.

Remember to clean out any debris or leaves from the gutters so the weeping tiles don’t get blocked. Also, don’t forget to check if your sump pump is working. Keep a battery back-up in case your sump pump doesn’t run properly.

You can spot issues by checking if your sinks or toilets are draining slowly. Having a slow draining sink or bathtub can be troublesome. It helps if you could spot these issues early on, especially in areas such as the kitchen or living room where wooden furniture like kitchen cabinets is often present. Wooden furniture is prone to mold growth once water damage affects it.

If you spot these issues with your weeping tile system, it is better to call a professional for help. You can also spot problems by walking around your yard to see if there is any spongy soil or pooling water. If problems with your weeping tiles has resulted in water damage, you will also need the help of a water damage restoration professional.

Wrap Up

Installing weeping tiles may seem like a lot of work due to the underground installation and maintenance involved. However, if done correctly, you can save yourself a lot of trouble from flooding. The key is to avert any water from your home.

If you are considering installing weeping tiles in or outside of your home, we suggest calling a professional for advice and consultation.

About Vince Sandri

Vince Sandri is a content writer and blogger with more than 12 years of experience. His expertise is in creating content related to disaster restoration, including information about preventing and reacting to natural disasters like flooding, water damage, fire and smoke damage, mold growth, storm damage and more.
Vince has been the main contributor to RestorationMasterFinder.com since 2014. Over that time, he has written numerous service pages and blogs for disaster restoration providers featured on RestorationMasterFinder.com. Vince has done extensive research and covered a wide range of topics relating to disaster restoration to help homeowners, business owners, and property managers better protect their property. He understands the problems that disasters like flooding, fire, smoke, and mold can cause as well as the best ways to respond to these issues to limit the damage.
Vince completed his Bachelor of Arts degree at Aurora University and his master’s degree at DePaul University. He has been writing SEO website pages, blogs, and press releases since 2012. Vince is also a musician and can be seen playing in the Chicago, IL area.