Preventing Water Damage to your Foundation
As many homeowners, unfortunately, find out soon or later, rainwater that doesn’t drain away from you foundation can be a disaster waiting to happen. A recurring accumulation of rainwater that puddles near the foundation can cause deterioration of your foundation, which leads to moisture problems in basements and crawlspaces. Without the proper grading of the soil that encompasses the perimeter of your property, you are inviting trouble that ends up being an extremely costly mistake.
Ground Sloping
To avoid the headaches and costly remediation required to resolve this looming problem, the most obvious first step is to check that the ground slopes are away from the foundation by at least 6 inches over a distance of 10 feet. By draining water away from your foundation, you prevent many problems from happening to your home, including foundation erosion, basement flooding, and soil deterioration. With a constant wearing down of the foundation, your house becomes susceptible to water seeping into the walls, causing dampness and worse yet, mould. Paying attention to the accumulation of water around your home is critical and drawing it away from the structure is paramount for a safe and dry interior.
Install a Gutter System
When you think about rainwater, the water running off a home’s roof is the first place to start for establishing a prevention plan of keeping accumulated water away from the house. Research shows that only 1 inch of rainwater of the roof translates into more than 620 gallons of water. Installing efficient eavestroughs and downspouts are one of the best improvements that you can do for your home to avoid rainwater overflow on to the ground where it puddles and accumulates.
In addition to having a slanted roof on your home that allows water to run off effectively, gutters on the eaves of your roof will carry the water away from the house and avoiding pooling. It is recommended that you use an extended rain spout of at least 5 feet at the end of the downspout to transport the excess water farther from the house.
Create a Barrier
Spring is an ideal time to rebuild the soil around your home to improve how water runs away from your home. Since the soil around your foundation carries water toward your home from overflow off the roof, the soil will settle due to time and weather conditions. By building a slope of topsoil or crushed stone that extends 2-3 feet away from your home, you are protecting your foundation from damaging conditions.
Create a Trench
Even with water moved away from the house, a saturated yard can make the water flow back toward the house. It can render your other endeavours irrelevant if the water begins to spill backward toward the foundation again and continue to cause an erosion problem once more. You can avoid this situation from happening by digging an area drain that carries water away from the structure. According to “The Family Handyman”, a U-shaped trench of about 3 to 4 feet deep and 2 to 3 feet across will help to prevent back water flow from a yard that is soaked with water. The trench is best situated at the lowest point on your property using a lining at the high end of the trench with a filter fabric. This process allows water to travel through the drain without dirt or wilt clogging the drain. You can also add gravel or other crushed rock to the trench; thereby, allowing ground-level water to enter your drain and properly run-off.
Build a Dry Well
For homes with smaller yards, diverting water away from the house with gutters and trenches might not do the trick. Smaller properties may still encounter puddling and pooling, which requires a man-made solution below the ground. The use of a dry well expands the ground’s ability to hold fluid and transfer it back to the groundwater supply. This structure is a cylindrical hole in the ground that’s filled with gravel or crushed stone. It should be 3 to 4 feet wide by 5 to 6 feet deep. The great benefit of dry wells is that they are porous and act as a makeshift drain that returns water to the ground without the worry of flooding or pooling.
To prevent water damage to your foundation effectively, these tasks should be done by a professional. At Conterra Foundation and Repair, our team of experts use the best products and proven waterproofing methods. So whether your foundation needs repair or looking at preventative future damage to your foundation, contact us today and our basement waterproofing contractors will be ready to help.
