Foundation Water Damage & Tips To Guard Against It

What are you doing right now to secure your home's base from water damage? There are, sadly, far too many Americans who'd probably reply,"Nothing". And that is a real shame if you believe the base of a home is arguably the most significant part it.

If you want to maintain your house's base strong for a long time to come, it is important for you to keep water far, far away from it. Foundation water damage can cause cracking to occur, which can weaken your base and compromise the safety and security of your property. You can safeguard your home's base by preventing water from coming into contact with it from the outside. You might even take action to prevent moisture from building up in your cellar and affecting your foundation from the interior.

Here are some tips to assist you stay away from foundation water damage.
Clean and Maintain Your Gutters Regularly
We understand what you're probably thinking:"What in the world do my gutters have to do with my foundation?" But stick with us .

If your gutters are all clogged up with debris or in desperate need of repair, they won't have the ability to take rainwater and send it down your downspouts away and away from your home. Water will be left to accumulate inside of your gutters whenever it rains.

When this happens, there is only so much water your gutters may hold. Eventually, the water in your gutters will begin to spill out across the sides and land close to your home.

This will inevitably lead to water pooling around your base, and if you don't do anything about it, then moisture could begin to seep into your foundation. Over time, this will make your base weak and also impact the dirt surrounding it.

Clean your gutters at least one time or twice annually and also make repairs to your gutter system as crucial.

Utilize Downspouts to Immediate Water Away In Your House
Your gutter system may be working just fine. But if your home's downspouts are not taking water and moving it away from your home, it could all be for nothing.

Your downspouts should be designed to take water from your gutters and then transfer it 10 feet away from the base. This will avoid the water from finding its way back into your own base, even when it rains hard for hours on end.

If your downspouts aren't doing this right now, you should either have them redesigned to move water away from your house more effectively, or buy downspout extensions which can carry water as far from your home as you want.

Doing either of those things will stop water from building up around your home's foundation during a rainstorm.

Make Sure the Ground Surrounding Your Foundation Slopes Away From It
Have a look at the floor surrounding your base. Does this seem to be sloping in the management of your home?

If so, this is obviously a recipe for failure. The ground is going to encourage water to move in the path of your foundation instead of away from your home.

The floor that sits around your base ought to be sloped at least 6 inches for 10 feet. This will ensure that the floor carries water away from your home instead of towards it.

Avoid the Soil Around Your Home From Drying Out
If you don't receive any rain on your town for a few weeks, you may be under the impression that this is good for those trying to avoid base water damage. And to a degree, it really is.

But the problems will come when it finally collapses again. Since dry conditions can cause the dirt around your home to shrink, a sudden rainstorm that floods the dirt will cause it to expand quite quickly and apply pressure directly to a foundation.

That pressure can cause lasting damage in case this scenario plays out over and over again. It is strongly suggested that you water the soil around your house during dry times to prevent it from shrinking too much.

Install a Sump Pump in Your Basement
No matter how hard you try to keep water away from the foundation and outside of your home, there will likely be times when groundwater will get the best of you.

Groundwater can seep into your basement and sit there if you don't have a way to deal with it. Consider installing a sump pump in your cellar which may collect groundwater in your cellar and do away with it.

A sump pump will prevent groundwater from sitting in your basement and potentially causing foundation water damage.

Remove Water From Your Basement Following a Disaster
A sump pump will take care of almost all of the groundwater that makes its way to your house. But in case that your house is affected by a flood, a busted plumbing pipe, or another tragedy, your sump pump be overwhelmed with water.

That is when you need to call on professionals for aid. There are businesses which specialize in removing water out of a house fast to prevent it from causing secondary damage.

The crucial thing is to act quickly and prevent any unnecessary delays if you notice water built up in your basement. The faster you can find the water removed, the better chance you have at reducing the extent of damage.

Do Not Let Foundation Water Damage Affect Your Home
Maintaining your home's base isn't necessarily the most exciting home improvement endeavor. Individuals aren't likely to notice when you have taken steps to safeguard your base.

But they'll notice if you don't avoid foundation water damage. A foundation that's been damaged as a result of exposure to water can weaken and put your entire house at risk.

That's why you need to stop base water damage at all costs. It is going to strengthen and secure your home and provide you a peace of mind.