Installation, maintenance of French drain
and camera inspection
Our exclusive products, our work methods, and our use of the latest materials make your French drainage system efficient, durable, and easy to maintain while protecting your house against all infiltration problems. Durasec uses a four-inch BNQ pipe specifically drilled and approved by Groupe Durasec.
No perforation on the top to keep the fine particles and small rocks from obstructing the pipe. Two rows of half-inch holes on each side. No membrane around the pipe. The installation is done with a laser level to give the French drain optimal efficiency. For its entire working life, the French drain will remain level.
A four-inch interior pipe installed level will automatically have a four-inch slope.
Steps for installing a French drain according to Groupe Durasec standards:
Installing a French drain is not only essential but has also been mandatory in Quebec since 1955. A French drain consists of a drainage pipe that is placed around a building. If correctly installed, its usefulness and efficiency are undeniable:
The water collected in the drain is then fed to a catch basin, also known as a drainage sump, which discharges water from the building’s drainage system. A high-quality French drain that is installed correctly and is in good condition is essential in protecting your home from moisture and infiltrations. Damage due to poor drainage is one of the most common hidden defects when purchasing real estate property.
The lifespan of a French drain is about 30 years, but it can be shortened considerably if it was improperly installed, if it is clogged or damaged, or if it falls subject to an iron ochre problem. To check on your French drain, we carry out camera inspections to determine its condition and whether it should simply be cleaned or changed. We will install inspection chimneys, which have the double advantage of making regular checks possible at a low cost while aiding in periodic cleanings of your drain. The type of drain we use, and its method of installation are the same as in a new home context, apart from the use of the laser level.
A four-inch interior pipe installed level will automatically have a four-inch slope.
Steps for installing a French drain according to Groupe Durasec standards:
To ensure that your French drain is operating correctly, we offer our high-definition camera inspection services conducted by our specialized team.
Camera inspections test the condition and proper functioning of your French drain in order to determine the causes of problems relating to the effectiveness of the drain or water infiltration. We can then determine if it is truly necessary to replace the drain or simply conduct a cleaning. As a very simple, fast, and efficient test, camera inspections have become a wonderful way to verify the condition of the drain during periodic checks and for maintenance purposes or to carry out an inspection when the property is being sold.
Our specialist inspects and assesses your surrounding ground as well as the work to be undertaken in order to conduct the test. To carry out the camera inspection, a minimum of two access pits are dug and chimneys are installed on each of them as well as connected to your French drain. During the digging of the pits, we collect the necessary information to determine the configuration and effectiveness of your drainage system. This information includes:
One of our technicians then inserts the camera into your drain centimetre by centimetre and records his progress to detect any abnormalities. The path followed by the camera is live on site and the recording is later studied on our premises. The final analysis is given to you as a detailed report with a copy of our registration and submission of recommendations for corrective actions to be undertaken, if necessary.
The access pits remain in place once the camera inspection has been completed. You are thus able to continue work as you wish or conduct regular inspections or drain cleanings without having to repeat the process.
In addition, if you are the victim of an iron ochre problem, the chimneys provide a great way to easily clean your drain at the recommended frequency and a low cost. If you would like more information or would like to have your drain assessed with a camera inspection, please contact us or fill out a quote request. It would be our pleasure to provide you with our expertise and to provide you with a solution that is adapted to your needs.
Putting in easy-to-inspect chimneys means we don’t have to dig up the drain just to inspect and clean it. It’s a process that will save you time and money when future work is done on your drain and reassure you that it will stay in good working order. Chimney viewers are each set up in a strategic place. The cover, equipped with a net, is easy to handle.
French drains should be washed each year when iron ochre bacteria are present. During this process, it’s possible and practical to check with the camera if the washing is complete (for a small fee). The washing is carried out with 3,500-pound water pressure.
In certain problematic cases, it’s possible that the solution is to install an interior French drain.
The building has one or two shared walls and we want to connect the exterior back and/or front drain to a single catch basin to allow water to be evacuated.
The building is located on a sloping street, and water is coming from a neighbouring home whose basement floor is more elevated than our building.