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The four most common types of stormwater drainage systems are ditches, catch basins, french drains, and slot drains. Ditches are open trenches designed to reroute stormwater off your property. Catch basins are connected to your local sewage system. French drains are great for keeping water out of your foundation, and slot drains are low-capacity drain systems that work best with light storms.

The easiest methods for waterproofing your basement include installing a gutter system to direct excess runoff away from your foundation and grading the soil away from your home to pull water away from the concrete. In some cases, these methods alone can be enough to eliminate water intrusion and moisture problems in your basement. If you have excessive rainfall in your area, though, you might need to employ more complicated solutions, like installing a French drain and a dehumidification system inside.

Basements with persistent moisture problems or flooding shouldn’t be finished until the moisture issues have been fixed. In addition, if your foundation is cracked, you have unmitigated radon levels, or you have asbestos or lead pipes, remediate the underlying problem before finishing your basement. Turning a basement into living space before fixing these issues can lead to serious health risks or structural damage. 

Trench drains have a bit of a reputation as being difficult to clean, so if there’s a massive rainstorm that leads to a lot of debris and gunk getting stuck in the drain, you’ll spend extra time cleaning it out. Plus, you definitely need to regularly clean the drain, heavy rainstorms or not, to keep it in good condition, adding an extra step to your cleaning to-do list.