Don't Let Your House Go Down The Drain!

| Sunday, October 28, 2012
By Keith Klamer


Because water and mud can do serious and costly damage to real estate, proper drainage is essential in protecting homes and buildings from water intrusion. Whether it's due to rain water, lawn irrigation, or soil erosion, if property owners notice standing pools of water near their structures, it is vital they either fix an existing drainage system or install a completely new one.

Drainage issues can cause problems under homes in crawl spaces or basements, doing harm to the concrete footing and underground walls. In certain situations, it can even force inside basement walls to bow in due to the high pressure caused by subterranean water pushing in from outside. Water infiltration like this is hard to stop because the ultimate source of the water is almost impossible to locate.

If you've noticed water pooling outside your home, you'll want to install a french drain. This will not only carry away the water, but it will also help prevent water damage to your home.

Generally speaking, french drains should be installed at the lowest possible point on your property. But they can also be positioned anywhere else in your yard if the pooling water is not situated immediately next to your house. The end of the drain can be virtually anywhere so long as it's low enough that it won't allow water to back up to your home. Because gravity is involved, the water will flow naturally downward through the french drain and ultimately to the street.

The entire french drainage system is not buried very deep underground. But because these types of drains use gravity to help carry water away, it's vital that they be positioned on a downward slope of about an inch downward for every foot forward. In certain scenarios, this may necessitate some additional digging so as to ensure the downward slant.

In short, French drains create a subterranean channel to move water from one area to a lower one.

In some situations, french drains may be installed around the perimeter of the home. The drainage set-up ultimately flows out to the street and the city sewer system through pvc pipe and curb-cuts underneath the sidewalk.




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