Most homeowners don’t understand how much they can prevent when it comes to water problems and foundation drainage issues. Prevention is much easier then reacting and repairing. Plus, avoiding foundation issues is a whole lot cheaper. Keep up on these few prevention tips and you won’t need to worry about foundation drainage problems in Guilford.
Never let water dump next to your foundation.
The make gutters and downspouts for a reason. If your house doesn’t have them, then get them. If they aren’t working right, fix them. Make it a point to unclog the gutters. Remove the leaves, sticks and debris at least once or twice a year. Although it isn’t a glamorous chore it is definitely important. Without working gutters, the rain water just dumps off next to the foundation. The same goes for irrigation and water hoses. Never let them run next to the foundation wall. Flooding the foundation walls with water doesn’t help the foundation drainage issues.
Maintain a positive slope
The soil around your house should always be a positive slope. Never let the soil settle to the point where the ground slopes toward the foundation wall. It should always slope away from the foundation wall with a positive slope of 6 inches every 10 feet. If the soil settles and creates a negative slope, add more dirt around the foundation. Gravity can be your enemy if you let it work against you. Make sure gravity is working for you but channeling the water away from your foundation wall.
Install proper yard drainage
Channeling water away from the foundation is also the job of your yard drainage. Make sure that you are collecting the rain runoff and channeling it away from the foundation. French drains and yard drainage basins can help control the storm runoff. Make sure these are installed properly again with the right slope channeling the water away from the house.
Interior drainage systems
Basement waterproofing with sump pumps and interior drainage can also help you avoid foundation drainage problems and basement floods. This will help avoid water seepage from underneath the concrete slab. Seepage coming up through the floor is a big problem for basements with foundation drainage problems.
Consider an exterior membrane
Foundation waterproofing is best done during construction; however, it can be done as a retrofit project. If the water problem is serious enough it may be worth considering installing exterior waterproofing. The concept is to completely keep water out. The membrane is installed on the exterior foundation wall. In a retrofit or remedial project the foundation is excavated to expose the concrete. Install the membrane and protect it with a drain fabric or protection board and install an exterior perimeter footing drain. The exterior is then compacted and backfilled with a gravel and dirt. Compaction is important considering it is one of the most common causes of settlement issues and foundation drainage problems. Make sure that the backfill is completely compacted to avoid this issue in new construction and with remedial work.
Budget Dry is based in Killingworth, Connecticut and has been recognized as the areas leading basement waterproofing and foundation repair company.
We are passionate about providing the absolute best service to each home and homeowner we encounter, because we understand just how important your home is to you. We pride ourselves on our excellent customer service and use of cutting edge industry technology.
Budget Dry Basement Waterproofing is a leader in Basement waterproofing and basement restoration. Every Basement flood, leak or crack is evaluated thoroughly to ensure that we provide you with the best solution. So you can be secure and confident in the knowledge that Budget Dry treats the problem, not the symptom!