Because they are below grade and generally surrounded by soil, basements are one area of the house that is prone to moisture and water damage. This, in turn, can produce all sorts of problems such as toxins from mold, rotting of the foundations and poor air quality to name but a few.
While you can treat all these problems, the best thing we can do is try to prevent as much moisture from entering the basement as possible. Diverting the water away from the foundation of the house is one of the most effective ways to stop it. One way to do this is by making sure your gutters and downspouts are installed correctly and are not blocked. Downspouts and gutters should be positioned so that they drain as far away from the foundation as they can, 10 feet away is ideal. They should also be positioned in such a way that water does not come back and start to pool around the foundation.
The house should also have the appropriate amount of slope (or grade) which is something we addressed in our last blog. This would again prevent pooling around the foundation. Have you noticed this happening around the foundations of your home? It may be that you will need to even out certain areas.
If your home is positioned at the base of a hill or incline, one method to prevent water run off is to build small ditches known as swales. They are designed to divert water away from the house. Ideally, they need to be around 10 – 15 feet away so that the water will not be able to reach the foundation of the home.
As we can see from this simple discussion, prevention is better that treatment, so look for ways to stop water from entering your basement. As always, we are here to help you. If you would like an inspection of your basement, don’t hesitate to contact us.
While you can treat all these problems, the best thing we can do is try to prevent as much moisture from entering the basement as possible. Diverting the water away from the foundation of the house is one of the most effective ways to stop it. One way to do this is by making sure your gutters and downspouts are installed correctly and are not blocked. Downspouts and gutters should be positioned so that they drain as far away from the foundation as they can, 10 feet away is ideal. They should also be positioned in such a way that water does not come back and start to pool around the foundation.
The house should also have the appropriate amount of slope (or grade) which is something we addressed in our last blog. This would again prevent pooling around the foundation. Have you noticed this happening around the foundations of your home? It may be that you will need to even out certain areas.
If your home is positioned at the base of a hill or incline, one method to prevent water run off is to build small ditches known as swales. They are designed to divert water away from the house. Ideally, they need to be around 10 – 15 feet away so that the water will not be able to reach the foundation of the home.
As we can see from this simple discussion, prevention is better that treatment, so look for ways to stop water from entering your basement. As always, we are here to help you. If you would like an inspection of your basement, don’t hesitate to contact us.
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