Basement Waterproofing - TrenchLock: Airtight Trench Drain Insert

Trench drains are elongated drains, often installed at the bottom of doorways or stairways, from basements to the exterior, to catch water. They are often connected to interior drains and sump pumps, as they should be. They work very well to let water down, but they also have an unintended consequence- they let air up. Basements are naturally depressurized relative to outside- meaning they always suck air from the ground and outside- IN. This can be a problem for 2 reasons:

1. Air from the ground can have radon gas in it, IF there is a source of radon in the ground. In homes where a radon mitigation system is installed, the trench drain becomes a big vacuum leak in the system, short-circuiting the depressurization field that radon mitigation fans are supposed to develop under a basement floor.

2. In some configurations, air from outside can be drawn in under a door into the basement through the trench drain. This air is cold in the winter, and hot and humid in the summer. In both cases it's unwanted and causes higher heating and cooling bills, and in summer it adds to the moisture load in the basement. Air from a trench drain can also be a source of moisture and odors.

It would seem the solution would be to just seal up the trench drain. But of course if you do that, then water will not drain and it will flow into the basement. There has never been a solution to this problem, until now- TrenchLock.

TrenchLock is an insert that can be installed in an existing trench drain that lets water down but does not allow air to come up. The patent pending innovative design of cups and balls along a tray does the trick. Water drops into the trench drain grate, and down into the nearest cup. A ball of the right weight and size floats up and allows the water to run down, and then reseats in the specially designed cups.

TrenchLock also allows dirt to flow down with the water and will not clog with dirt for the floor. TrenchLock is a highly specialized product to solve a very particular problem.

PROBLEM SOLVED!

TrenchLock is a trademarked name, and a proprietary product of Basement Systems and Basement Systems Dealers.