Thanks for the tag @Russell Brazil!
@Christina R. - I'll do my best to address your questions:
- A French drain is common nomenclature to refer to a system that is designed to redirect water. It can be as crude as a trench filled with gravel or include piping and geotextile fabric.
- When the drain system cannot be terminated to daylight, then the system is often terminated in a sump crock/pit in which a sump pump is added. The crock/pit collects the water and the pump discharges it to an appropriate location (which is not the sewer or septic system).
- Among other things, the total length of the loop, the hardness and thickness of the concrete all play into the length of time it takes accomplish the task mentioned. That said, for the typical home in our area, I suspect the timeline would be measured in days (as opposed to a week or more). A small home that has a wide-open basement may get knocked out in a single day.
- For retrofit work of this type, some companies may just install small drainage components of various sizes and styles, while others may also add coatings to the block wall.
- Generally speaking, in my opinion, interior measures are a last resort as I prefer to prevent water from breaching the building envelope.
- Water problems in basements may stem from different sources such as the water table, underground springs, or simply poor exterior drainage details (e.g., sloping the grade away from the house, making sure gutters and downspouts are in place, sized appropriately, in good working order, and do not terminate near the house - they should discharge some distance away).
- Prior to taking on an interior retrofit, I'd exhaust exterior measures first - sometimes, that's all it takes.
Good luck!
