Foundation Drains

The typical residential foundation drainage system is a combination of pea-gravel and a perforated PVC pipe discharging into a sump. As many homeowners have discovered, these systems often fail. As a result of the reduced drainage capacity, water pressure builds and eventually moisture penetrates through the foundation wall or peculates up through cracks in the basement floor.

There are two primary reasons for the failure: Soil migrates into the drainage gravel creating a mix of mud and rock that no longer drains effectively, or the drainage pipe becomes crushed or clogged.

An efficient and cost-effective solution two both issues is engineered, prefabricated foundation drainage panels like US Fabrics' Composite Drains. Prefabricated drainage systems (PDS), often referred to as “dimple boards,” consist of two elements: a geotextile filter fabric wrapping and a molded plastic core. The geotextile filter fabric provides outstanding water flow while restricting the migration of soil particles into the dimpled core. The core is made of a high strength plastic that withstands the pressure of the backfill and the stress of installation.

• Cost-Effective
• Installs Faster
• High Strength
• Crush Resistant
• Outstanding Water Flow
• 18 – 21 gallons/minute/sf
• Restricts Soil Migration
• Works Better

The complete foundation drainage system consists two components: A drainage panel, typically US 200DB or 400DB, and US SWD (Site Water Drainage). The drainage panels come in 4’, 6.5’ and 8.5’ widths and can be manufactured with a membrane to protect waterproofing materials. The US SWD comes in 6 inch wide rolls and is placed at the bottom of the system as a replacement for the standard PVC pipe. SWD has adaptors to connect to the standard 4” pipe connected to the sump.

Compared to traditional basement foundation systems, US Fabrics' Composite Drains cost less, install faster and work better. Should you decide to install the tradition stone and pipe foundation drainage system, we strongly recommend you wrap the entire system in our US 120NW nonwoven filter fabric.

Data sheets and installation instructions can be found by visiting the links below.