My name is Richard Allen, and I am the owner of The Dreamscapes. I have been in the landscape and construction industry for four decades, and drainage is one of my passions. I am highly experienced in solving water-related problems and protecting homes and landscapes from the damage they can cause. As the owner of a landscape design and build firm, I have learned that drainage has to be considered from the beginning of any outdoor project. I love what I do, and solving difficult drainage problems is one of my favorite parts of the job.

My team at The Dreamscapes also enjoys the challenge of finding where a drainage problem actually starts and developing a solution we can stand behind. Plants will not do well when their beds stay wet or the soil does not drain properly. A beautiful patio quickly becomes frustrating when runoff continually leaves silt behind or water stands on the surface, and turf suffers when water repeatedly puddles in the lawn. Drainage is one of the first things I look at when The Dreamscapes is called to inspect an existing landscape or plan a new outdoor project.

Foundation Drain Repair & Exterior Waterproofing

A foundation drain has one important job: collect water around the base of the home and move it away before that water has an opportunity to remain against the foundation. When the original drain was poorly installed, damaged, clogged, or no longer drains properly, moisture can begin showing up where it should not.

Recurring water along a basement wall, moisture at the wall and floor joint, damp foundation walls after heavy rain, or problems that repeatedly appear along the same side of the house can all point to drainage around the foundation. The source needs to be identified before deciding how to repair it. Simply dealing with water after it has already entered the home does not address why it reached the foundation in the first place.

Whenever possible, The Dreamscapes approaches the problem from the exterior. The goal is to stop and redirect water before it enters the structure by repairing the drainage and waterproofing system along the affected foundation wall.

How We Repair Foundation Drain Problems

Foundation drain work requires access to the footing and the outside of the foundation wall. Depending on the conditions around the home, The Dreamscapes excavates a trench approximately 24 inches wide down to the top of the footing so the existing drainage and foundation can be properly inspected.

Once the wall is exposed, we pressure wash and clean the foundation so cracks, failed waterproofing, and other problem areas can be seen clearly. Necessary cracks and defects are repaired before the exterior wall is waterproofed and protected with a membrane.

A perforated foundation drainpipe is then installed along the footing and directed toward an appropriate gravity outlet where the water can safely discharge away from the home. Gravel provides a drainage zone around the pipe, while geotextile fabric helps separate the drainage stone from the surrounding soil and reduces soil migration into the system.

The trench is backfilled with drainage stone and protected with geotextile fabric before the upper portion is finished with soil. The finished grade is pitched away from the foundation so surface water is encouraged to move away from the house rather than back toward it.

Restoring the Landscape After the Repair

Foundation drain repair often requires working through existing planting beds or lawn areas. Once the drainage work is complete, The Dreamscapes can restore the disturbed areas, including replanting or transplanting existing shrubs where practical, repairing lawn areas, and replacing mulch in affected beds.

This is one advantage of having a landscape design and construction company handle foundation drainage. We are considering not only what happens below ground, but also how the property needs to be put back together when the drainage work is finished.

Is the Problem Really the Foundation Drain?

Not every wet basement or damp foundation begins with a failed foundation drain. Roof runoff, poor grading, water collecting beside the home, or drainage problems elsewhere on the property can all send unnecessary water toward the foundation. We inspect the surrounding conditions before recommending excavation so the repair addresses the actual source of the problem.

If the water problem is primarily outside the home, such as standing water in the lawn, erosion, runoff across patios, or water collecting in low areas, see our Landscape Drainage services. Those problems often require a different solution than foundation drain repair.

The Dreamscapes stands behind our foundation drainage work with the lifetime guarantee described for this service.

If water is collecting against your foundation or repeatedly finding its way into your home, let us determine where it is coming from before the damage gets worse. Call The Dreamscapes at 678-574-4008 or request a free estimate to discuss your foundation drainage problem.