French Drains

"The Vulcan crew was punctual, courteous and respectful. They worked with great diligence and left the premises very clean. The foreman kept me informed in every step of the work. I would recommend Vulcan to anyone."
- Paul, New York

"Your men did an excellent job. They went above and beyond the call of duty. The clean-up was great. Overall I am very pleased with the work of your crew."
- Leslie, New Jersey

"I would be remiss if I didn’t take a moment to "Thank You" for a job well done. I look forward to a dry basement! I have to tell you that the crew assigned was fabulous. They worked from the moment they arrived until they left. Thank you for a terrific job."
- John, Illinois

French Drains

The origin of a French drain goes back many years. The idea of a French drain was a way to control water flow by carrying it away from its original source. Using and installing a French drain in its earliest forms involved digging a simple ditch and pitching it from a high area to a low area. Each of these ditches were filled with gravel and dug by hand using a pointer shovel.

As the years went by French drains became more refined and the idea became more associated with basement waterproofing. Modern French drain systems can be made with perforated pipe that is surround by any number grade of gravel or stone. In addition landscaping textiles are used especially on exterior systems in order to prevent clogging from dirt and roots as well as reducing the possibility of the drainage material from migrating. The purpose of the perforated pipe is to funnel the water along the entire length of the drain to discharge any surplus water at its end and also act as a holding area underground within the pipe to store the water.

During our early years in late 1940’s and 1950’s Vulcan Basement Waterproofing installed French drains that entailed laying clay pipe which, at that time, was the common material used in the manufacturing of drain pipe. The exterior of the home was dug down and excavated. A bed of stone or gravel was carefully placed all around the trench and this was followed by the installation of clay pipe. These clay pipes or drain tile, as they were typically called, were placed end-to-end inside the trench with approximately ½ inch spacing between each piece in order to allow the water to enter and exit the drain tile as necessary. This clay tile system was the genesis behind the idea of solving the age old question of how to prevent water from leaking in the basement. Eventually this system spawned the development and future growth of our own patented pressure relief system.

"The crew, as expected, performed brilliantly! They were wonderful! They worked hard, were polite, neat, cleaned up after the job, and were totally professional. I would recommend your company to anyone who has ever had water in their basement."
- Chris, Pennsylvania

"The crew was very efficient and respectful. They worked fast and were very professional. They were very nice and patient. They took the time to explain how the pump worked. We are very pleased and satisfied with their work. I would recommend Vulcan to anyone who have basement water problems."
- Lillian, Connecticut