Interior drain tile is the most common fix for wet basements in older Michigan homes, but it is not the right first step for every damp basement.
Worth it when
- Water comes in at the floor joint after heavy rain or snowmelt.
- Water seeps through block walls in more than one spot.
- Water comes up through the floor.
- You want to finish the basement and need it reliably dry.
- Gutters, downspouts and grading are already in good shape and it still leaks.
Probably not the first step when
- The basement is only humid or musty, with no liquid water. A dehumidifier and better ventilation may be enough.
- There is one leaking crack in a poured wall. Crack injection is a much smaller job.
- Downspouts dump next to the foundation, or the ground slopes toward the house. Fix that first and watch for a season.
What makes a system last
- Pipe laid at the footing, in clean stone, not just a channel at the surface.
- A membrane on block walls so water inside the cores reaches the drain.
- Inspection ports so the pipe can be flushed if it clogs.
- A good pump, a battery backup, and a discharge line that does not freeze.
- A written warranty.
Cost
Interior drain tile falls under what HomeGuide counts as repairing a foundation leak, $250 – $15,000 nationally (source). See basement waterproofing cost.
How it is installed: drain tile and sump pumps.