What is a Pressure Relief System?

Pressure relief systems, also known as "drainage systems" and "French drains", are an extremely efficient way to prevent water seepage through the basement floor caused by hydrostatic pressure. Hydrostatic pressure is the force exerted by water against an item such as a foundation. When the groundwater levels outside the basement rise above the level of the floor, the basement acts like a boat in a pond. If a boat is sitting in water, water will leak in through any open cracks, holes or porous areas. Similarly, hydrostatic pressure can push water through hairline cracks. Symptoms of this are water coming up through the basement floor or water coming in at multiple locations.

Properly installed systems will remove the water before it has a chance to rise above the level of the basement floor. This water is then diverted to a sump well recessed in the floor where a pump discharges it to a safe and legal location. Two popular methods of installation on today’s market are the top of footer method and the deep system method.

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The AM Shield Advantage

Drainage systems located on the top of the foundation footing are typically placed very shallow and reside above the bottom of the basement floor. While they could prevent water from rising above the floor because of their slim profile these systems are of low capacity. Additional problems arise because the concrete foundation floor is still sitting in moisture, which can be wicked into the basement and cause dampness or, over long periods of time damage the concrete.

Deep systems reside next to the foundation footing below the basement floor. This system intercepts and removes any water that rises above the level of the foundation’s footing. A typical installation uses a four inch perforated pipe to direct the water to a sump basin where the water is then safely discharged from the home. Since these systems use four-inch pipe and can sit in a bed of ¾" drainage gravel they are considered to be of high capacity. In extreme conditions a larger six-inch perforated pipe can be substituted for the four-inch pipe to help control flooding. The only real limitation of a deep system is the pumping power behind it.

AM Shield installs deep pressure relief systems coupled with one of the best primary pumps and back-up pumping systems on the market today. We fully guarantee that our system will stop all sub-surface water infiltration. We do not sub-contract our work. Our foremen and crews have been with us for many years and they provide a clean and courteous installation meeting the highest standards for customer service in the industry.

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The Complete Solution

Pressure relief systems are an ideal way to prevent hydrostatic water from entering your home. However when the electricity goes out, most likely during a thunderstorm, primary pumps cannot work. This is where our Battery Backup Systems are critical to maintaining a dry basement. We recommend that every system have a backup in case of a power outages, extreme precipitation and primary pump failures.

Indoor air quality is also important to consider for your home. Inactive mold spores, dust mites, and other particulates are in the air we breathe every day. Filtering these particles out of the air and using humidity control are crucial to preventing a costly mold problem from happening to your home.

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