HISTORY OF BASEMENT WATERPROOFING
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 Continued from Part 1
Over the years different visionaries in the basement waterproofing industry, developed various types of drainage systems from one foot pvc pipe replacing the clay pipe sections, to coiled plastic piping with different types of opening from small slits to "s" holes.
Then came the part of basement waterproofing industry which is known today as "baseboard systems". These systems were different types of plastic gutter systems that would be glued down to the concrete floor around the perimeter of the floor. These contractors felt that most ground water coming into the area was from the floor and wall seams, so by installing this type of system the water could be directed to the sump collection area where it could be pumped out.
There were certain advantages to these types of systems. The contractor would not have to break as much of the floor, although they would still have to break some of the floor to install the sump basin. These systems were more cost effective, and also were advantage when dealing with a monolithic foundation which did not allow the contractor to break the concrete floor because it would affect the structural integrity of the foundation. These baseboard systems are still a viable solution to use when the foundation footing and floor are poured at one time.
In more recent times, some basement waterproofing contractors began developing sub-floor "trak" systems. These various systems were an improvement over the pipe and stone or baseboard systems that were available. The principle was simple and I believe a mix between an above floor baseboard system and a sub-floor pipe and stone system. These systems were designed to sit on top of the footing. They would be easier to install, since the contractor would not need to remove as much concrete and debris. Since most water enters along the floor / wall seams, these systems worked very well. No longer did the "pipe" sit in the mud where it could clog. These systems were less intrusive since the contractor would not have to break as much of the concrete floor.
Today, we see all of these types of systems being installed. There are some contractors who do one or more of these methods. This is my 27th year in the basement waterproofing industry and I firmly believe that there is no one system out there today that is good in all situations. I still use a baseboard system in homes that cannot have there floor broken because of a monolithic foundation. I believe that as contractors we need to look at what we do. We need to ask ourselves if the system is the right one for the customer. I don't want to smash manufacturers, but just because they say their system is the best in all situations does not mean it is. After all manufacturers want to sell products that they have spent time and money to develop.
Now that we have come to this point in time in our, we need to look for ways to combat some of the problems that have not been solved. The biggest problem that we need to work on is iron bacteria.
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