Sump pumps do an excellent job of extracting water from your basement and sending it up and out of your home. However, sump pumps are only as effective as the placement of the holes in which they are installed. If your sump pump installation is placed in the corner of the basement, but all of the water travels away from this corner, your sump pump will not do what you expect it to. That is why some alterations are occasionally made to the grading of your basement floor so that when you install your sump pump, the water will travel to it, and not away from it. Here is what is involved in the floor grading process.
Placement of the Sump Pump
The most difficult aspect of getting a properly graded floor is first deciding where the pump will go so that the floor can help direct water to it. Most sump pump installation professionals want to place the pump in a corner or along a wall in the basement. The less distance for the water to travel up and out, the easier it is on the pump. As great as it would be to put the pump smack in the middle of the basement floor so that all of the floor slopes downward and drains, it is just not feasible for the functionality of the pump. Ergo, the floor is readjusted to accommodate the chosen position of the pump.
New Floor Entirely
Some old homes still have dirt floors in the basement. This is because these "basements" are newly dug, or because they are actually cellars and not basements. For you, this is good news because the concrete contractor can easily construct a properly graded floor that slopes down to the sump pump. Not only will you have a solid floor (instead of dirt!) on which to walk, but your sump pump will also be able to do its job of keeping your basement/cellar dry.
Grading an Existing Floor
In this case, you have a concrete or cement floor already. What you do not have is the adequate slope to make water run "downhill" to the sump pump. Ergo, the contractor brings in equipment that will gradually build up the sides of the basement floor and slope them downward toward the pump. This takes some time. After the floor is complete, it will feel awkward walking on it because you are used to the flatness of the old floor. However, your sump pump will be fully operational, and your basement floor dry.
