Downhill Battle: Diverting Water Away From Your Home

We once heard a great philosophy from a home inspector in Minnesota who had a simple motto: If you don’t want water inside, keep it outside. As foundation experts, we couldn’t help but agree. It really is that simple! At least, in theory. The process, however, is a little more complicated.

At Gordon Energy & Drainage, one of our specialties is helping homeowners protect their property from water and flood damage. As the seasons change, rains come and go, soil dries and expands, foundations settle and develop cracks. When this happens, water makes its way into the gaps and into your home causing major damage to both the property and your personal belongings. In order to prevent this from happening, we suggest following the home inspector’s advice, and we can help.

First, it’s important to understand the flow of water around your property. Water will always follow gravity and run downhill, and it will always take the path of least resistance. Because you can’t change this fact, the key is to put it to work for your advantage by helping it flow easily downhill away from your house. There will be obstacles, of course, as many landscapes include features that interfere with downhill flow. For instance, you may find depressions next to the foundation that are filled with rocks or mulch, which allow the water to seep through the cracks back toward your home, or run up against landscape edges that create dams. Improperly sloped sidewalks, patios and driveways can also add to the problem, as can faulty downspouts and gutters.

In order to overcome these obstacles, you may have to make a few home repairs such as adding downspout extensions and filling exterior depressions. The point is to make sure that the perimeter grade around your home slopes away from the property and remains obstacle-free or as close to it as possible. A minimum of one inch per linear foot over the first five to six feet is recommended with a half inch thereafter for a reasonable distance. Hard surfaces should slope at a quarter inch per foot. And, when it comes to landscape rock and mulch, you don’t have to abandon it altogether, just install it on top of sloped soil and let the water to run downhill underneath.

In some cases, you’ll need professional help, which is where we at Gordon Energy & Drainage come in. As foundation and drainage experts, we can both help you create a system that diverts water away from your property and also help waterproof your basement and foundation walls. While it may sound like an involved process, it’s one that can’t be ignored. Water damage and foundation problems will not solve themselves and will lead to further damage if not treated immediately.

Instead of letting rain and water continue to settle around your property and create costly home damage, divert it away from your home by giving the water an easy path. Let us at Gordon Energy & Drainage put our services to work on behalf of your home and your family by helping you create a system that protects one of your greatest assets.

For a free property evaluation, call Gordon Energy & Drainage today!