Drainage Problems and Cures
The key to a healthy home is a good foundation, and the key to a healthy foundation is good drainage. One depends on the other. The function of drainage around your home is to remove excess water from around the foundation and send it a safe distance away from the house. There are many places in your home which can allow moisture to enter and one of the first stages to having good drainage is to make sure that the weaknesses in those areas are resolved. A common weak point is the basement. Most utility lines enter the house through the basement, the point where they enter is also an entry point for unwanted moisture. Therefore it is important that the pipes are laid in sand that is properly compacted and which drains easily, and that the entry points are securely insulated.
Problems that can arise if this is not addressed are that the basement of the home can become damp, the foundation may weaken and the damp air can rise into the attic and cause a whole lot of other problems. Once this problem is resolved, the next problem that can occur as a result of poor drainage is that the area around the foundation can become water logged. If this happens the danger is that water will follow the line of least resistance and come into direct contact with the foundation. If this happens often, the foundation of the home can become weak.
The way to resolve this problem is to check the gutters. Over the seasons debris collects in the gutters, becomes compounded and can sometimes develop its own plant system. Where this to occur, rain would not be able to travel through the gutters, causing them to overflow onto the ground below. Simply cleaning the gutters is enough to resolve this problem, but it is a problem that will reoccur as time passes and regular maintenance is needed. The same is true of the down-spouts which direct the water from the gutters away from the home. Debris does not collect here as often but blockages can occur. If you have cleaned your gutters and overflowing continues, then it is the down-spout that must be flushed. With these cures to common drainage problems, your home and foundation should be healthy.
