Talk to me about french drains and sump pumps in your basements!

We've been in the house for a year. We are apparently 5 houses away from the required flood insurance zone. We are south of Merrick Rd. This is the first time we've had water in, but MAN do we have water! 6 sump pumps going and we're coming up on 24 hours of pumping and there's still water down there. It was only maybe ankle deep to begin with, but once you pump and can see ground, you turn around and it's back up again. It's coming in from the foundation, just seeping up like a sieve. My neighbor says this is only the 2nd time i n 18 years that he's had water like this. When the guys cut the walls you can see that there's a foot of new insulation that was installed, which means someone in the past 10 years (that's how old the house is) had a problem previously and had to do what we are doing now....

We have a flood company in here pumping. The broke two holes in the foundation over night to drop a sump pump in to try to pump the water table before it reached our property. That seems to be doing a good job b/c there's not new water down there this morning, but it's just constant...

So, my question is based on your experiences and research, are we better off with multiple sump pumps cut into the foundation and installed in the basement OR a french drain?

Secondly, before I have a heart attack and google this, do you have recommendations for installation companies and approx. how much these options cost?

Thank you for reading this far if you made it!

Re: Talk to me about french drains and sump pumps in your basements!

DH's parents have 2 French Drains AND have a sump IN the french drain as we speak to keep the basement (Which is our apartment while I'm waiting to close on my house) dry. I don't remember how much it was. If I see them, I'll ask and post. BUT it was a GREAT investment... I already told DH that I want this in my house "Just In Case"

hope the rain stops for u

Re: Talk to me about french drains and sump pumps in your basements!

We have two French drains and a pump--we have two mainly because one was in place already but only took care of half our basement. We installed the other drain and the pump to take care of the other half.

Previously, when we had 2 plus inches of rain our basment got wet, yet all day yesterday and this morning it was dry. So we're happy--it was work well worth doing.

We used Complete Basement Systems, and we were happy with them--no complaints.

Re: Talk to me about french drains and sump pumps in your basements!

Thanks!

Is it like 10k to do this? I am panicking over here.

Re: Talk to me about french drains and sump pumps in your basements!

I am interested in this as well. When we bought the house part of the basement was finished already. I get a ton of water in the unfinished part. I need either 2 sumps pumps or a french drain in the unfinished section. Anyone else in a similiar situation (where the basement was previously finished)? I really don't want to have to rip up any parts of the finished area.

Message edited 8/15/2011 10:19:35 AM.

Re: Talk to me about french drains and sump pumps in your basements!

Someone else posted on here under Basement Flooding and they said $6500 for a french drain Maybe FM them?