Basement Systems: Set Up Help

A sump pump, drain tile, or French drain situation in a basement will help deal with groundwater. Professionals need to understand the best way to implement these configurations to help homeowners get the best results for storm water situations.

Every plumber needs to be aware of the technical aspects of a sump pump, including how to wire it into an electrical set up, and all of the various sizing and diagnostic elements. But there are also design issues around how to integrate this into the homeowners "basement set up", and some plumbers spend a lot of time talking about this side issue, as they realize it will affect how inhabitants use the home.

Many pumps are ugly and are an eye sore. Many basements have a boiler room as well as a furnace. That is true about finished basements since areas for living are separate form maintenance areas. If the home has this similar set up, it is important to find the space where you need to install a system.

If the House does not have its finished basement separated off from the rest of the basement, some of these issues get a little more challenging. The client and professions need to discuss where and how to install a sump pump in the basement.

Another way to fix the problem is to put in access panels where the sump pumps are. The clients and professonals must discuss how to frame the costs. Access panels also have the benefit of providing a more aesthetic solution by hiding this kind of gear, to effect a cleaner living space in the basement.

In any case, you want to make sure that the area is safely secured against access by kids or others. It may be a good idea to provide a "fence" if the area is not conveniently illuminated, to prevent some unfortunate accidents. Again, discuss all of these things with clients and factor in all of their input before coming up with a comprehensive plan for your drainage gear, as well as anything else that will go into the maintenance space of a home's basement.

It's not unusual to come up against all kinds of situations where these tips can come in handy. When you're working on a lot of projects long-term, it's great to keep a portfolio of past work that you can show clients to help them come up with their own designs for keeping maintenance equipment out of a living area. Your customers will thank you for taking on this kind of consulting role and you will have a better reputation as someone who can do the necessary problem-solving on the job. Just take it from me: I've been out there a long time and have seen a lot of this go on with jobs where basement space really needs to be optimized. So don't go out without a plan when you're going to work on basement drainage systems.