FORM-A-DRAIN® is the 3-in-1 foundation solution that forms footings, provides an integrated drainage system, and can be easily adapted to vent radon where needed. Designed for residential basement appl
ications, Form-A-Drain consists of lineal sections installed as the foundation footing forms. Unlike standard wood forms, Form-A-Drain lineals stay in place permanently after completion of the concrete pour and because they form a complete sub-slab perimeter loop around the foundation, Form-A-Drain functions as a foundation drainage and a radon collection system as well. Since it stays in place, Form-A-Drain also shaves valuable time from the construction schedule; there’s no need for a crew to return the next day to remove, strip, clean and transport forms to the next jobsite.
The 6”, 8”, & 10” Form-A-Drain system exceeds all applicable code requirements for foundation drainage systems and meets those code requirements in superior fashion to HDPE corrugated pipe.
Form-A-Drain is a dual footing form that creates parallel dedicated drainage pathways tight to both sidewalls of the footing. This unique arrangement of large, connected drainage pathways ensures that water is channeled around the building perimeter at the optimal height relative to footings and slabs (the configuration of Form-A-Drain lineals ensures that the bottom of the drain path is at least 6” below the bottom of the basement slab); in practice, HDPE corrugated pipe is seldom installed at a consistent height relative to footings. Furthermore, corrugated pipe is often installed in discontinuous sections that may not be visible at the time of inspection. Because Form-A-Drain is installed prior to footing pour, the entire continuous system is fully visible at the time of footing inspection.
Form-A-Drain is available with lateral components that connect the lineals to daylight (where the site configuration will permit such) or the sump pit required by IRC 405. This same section does not require a dedicated interior footing drain pathway, only a porous layer of sand or gravel with a provision for mechanical discharge – i.e. the sump pit and pump. Form-A-Drain exceeds this code requirement by creating a dedicated pathway tight to the footing, channeling water at exactly the position where it can be the most effective – at the outside perimeter of the basement slab.