Keep Dirt Out of Your House
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How many times have you cleaned up after people
coming into your house, tracking in mud, dirt and snow,
and thought “there has to be a better way.”
Doormats help, but they don’t stop the majority
of the dirt, and they have to be cleaned frequently
during messy fall and winter months.
Thomas Foote heard this complaint from his wife after
the floors in their new custom home were ruined by dirt
and debris being tracked into the house. A contractor
by trade, he rigged up an outdoor grate that stopped
dirt before it ever found its way into the house.
When family and friends saw his
idea, they wanted their own version of Foote’s
invention. Soon, he was getting so many requests that
he decided there was a market for his invention, and
in 2003 he started Dirt Drain International.
The Dirt Drain system is a grid
or grate that can be mounted flush with wooden or concrete
porches, patios and decks and allows users to scrape
the mud and snow from their shoes and boots before entering
the house. “The mud and snow simply fall through
the Dirt Drain to the ground underneath the deck or
porch, keeping it outside where it belongs, not inside
on your floors and carpeting,” explains Foote.
And it’s unobtrusive, thanks to its flush mount
design.
Doug and Mary McCleary of East
Falmouth, Mass. installed Dirt Drain during construction
of their home addition. "It kept all noticeable
dirt from being tracked into our new kitchen,"
says Mary. It takes just about 10 minutes to install
a Dirt Drain in a wooden deck or porch and it is designed
to fit standard joists of 12 inches, 16 inches and 24
inches. Custom sizes are available as well. It can also
be installed flush into a concrete floor, which makes
it a natural fit for garages. If you prefer not to do
a flush installation, it can be used anywhere by simply
using dimensional lumber for a frame.
The Dirt Drain is made from the
material used in automotive bumper supports and is maintenance
free; just rinse clean with a hose if necessary. The
product comes in black, and can be painted or stained
to match your home.
Besides keeping dirt out of your
home, the Dirt Drain also serves to let light in. “If
you have a lower level window under your deck, for example,
you’ll get more light under your deck once you’ve
installed our product,” says Foote. The cutout
for installation also improves circulation under decks
and porches, which helps prevent wood rot.
Since 75 percent of the dirt in
most homes comes in through the main door, keeping most
of it outside will drastically decrease the mess inside.
The Dirt Drain is available at www.dirtdrain.com and
will soon be available in stores nationwide.
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