Keeping Groundwater Out Of Your Basement (NAPSA)—Most people don’t think too much about the foundation when they’re having a new homebuilt. Siding style, roof shingle color and interior amenities are the areas homeowners focus on, but they shouldn't forget about the part they don’t see—the home’s foundation and drainage system. If this isn’t designed and installed properly, a wet basement can be a disaster. The basementis no longer the dark, damp storage area it was in years past. Now, homeowners want finished basements to use for recreation and home theater systems, making it critical that the space stay dry and comfortable. Hard to believe, but conven- tional drainage is handled with inexpensive black corrugated pipe such as the kind sold at a home improvement store. If this isn’t put in level, which can be difficult to do, or at the correct location, right up against the concrete footing, the system won't work properly and a wet basement can result. Nothing is more frustrating than dealing with a wet basement. It can damage drywall, framing and flooring, ruin irreplaceable things such as family photo albums, deteriorate the foundation, and spawn harmful and unhealthy mold and mildew growth. And an improperly installed conventional drainage system is not easily repaired—just think about an excavator digging a deep pit going all the way around your home, or jackhammers in the basement. The best and safest alternative is to have the builder use Form-ADrain, a precision extruded thermoplastic material that is shaped like lumber, so it’s used to form the concrete footing that supports the basement walls and the entire home. Unlike lumber, the The best kind of water drainage system may be one that loops around your home andalso protects it from radon. forms stay in place to act asa superior foundation drainage system that works 24/7 to keep the homedry. Water is not the only problem lurking under your house. Nearly one in 15 homesin the U.S. has a high level of indoor radon. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency estimates that radon is the second-leading cause of lung cancer in the U.S. If high levels are detected during a test on your newly constructed home, move-in will be delayed, and holes will need to be drilled in your new basement walls and floor for a conventional radon remediation system. But with Form-A-Drain installed with a simple adapter, it’s ready to use as part of a radon-venting system if needed, with absolutely nodrilling. Increasingly, homeowners are choosing the best foundation drainage and venting system available. Form-A-Drain can only be installed while a home or addition is being built, not after, so make sure your builder is aware of your foundation needs. For more information, visit www.certainteed.com.
