Sure, April showers bring May flowers. But a lot of rain water can also bring about foundation cracks and leaky, wet basements.
Foundation leaks are fairly common, as water tends to pool near the house and seep into the ground, putting a lot of pressure on your foundation. The water pressure will pass through your foundation anyway it can—through foundation wall cracks, the basement floor, your crawl space or though the foundation wall floor joint. Alternatively, water can also push through the pours of concrete and grout, which causes basement areas to feel damp and humid.
To prevent water from building up and putting pressure on your foundation, you’ve got to keep the water away from the base of your home. Here are some ways to help this situation:
Foundation Grading
Often times, the soil nearest the foundation of your home settles. This can create a dip in the soil, allowing for water to pool and soak in near the foundation. We recommend you add dirt to the area until the soil slopes outward from the house, also known as grading.
We also recommend using dense clay soil. Soil with sand or mulch provides too much room for water to drain straight down. The soil grading should also not be against the siding of your house to prevent rotting or termites. A four inch gap between the dense soil and the side of your house should ensure water to drain away and not affect your siding.
Gutters and Downspouts
Regularly cleaning and clearing gutters is also an important step to keeping rain water away from your foundation. You can also install screens to protect debris from collecting and clogging your gutters so you can clean less frequently. Downspouts also need to not be pouring straight towards your foundation. Be sure to extend downspouts as far away from your foundation as possible.
Basement Waterproofing Solutions
Soil grading and downspout extensions are essential to keeping your basement dry and preventing foundation cracks, however a basement waterproofing system will be the only way to absolutely ensure that water stays out of your basement.
Dry Basement® Foundation Repair focuses on removing and controlling water to avoid water pressure buildup. We can install a system that takes the problem water from outside and inside your basement walls — as well as from below your basement floor — and leaves no water in your basement. This system works on all types of foundations, and has multiple components to keep your basement dry and safe, including; sump pump installation, crawl space repair and dehumidification.
Keep Your Basement Dry with Dry Basement® Foundation Repair!
The Dry Basement® team can inspect your basement as well as your yard, checking for issues with sloping and pooling. We’ll create a plan of action for waterproofing your basement. This plan will be backed by our Better-than-Lifetime® guarantee to keep your basement dry. Contact us for a free inspection and estimate.