Drainage and Water Management
If you’re a homeowner or real estate investor, drainage is a going concern. The consequences of unmanaged water runoff, poorly designed drainage (which is more common than you might think), or even simple aged systems or eroded landscaping can all wreak havoc on your property.
There are environmental concerns to poorly managed runoff, and the effects of it are usually felt close to home. Remember, we all live downstream, and what comes out of your yard and those of your neighbors affects the water table you and your family use daily for drinking, cooking, and bathing, and also may harm local recreation areas you use for fun.
Responsible water management, then, begins at home, and this is mostly because your property is at risk when runoff is unchecked and unmanaged. It’s an important component to the longevity and continued integrity of your property, especially the foundation of your home.
As you can see in this recent video of a property we’re currently renovating, unmanaged runoff can result in costly repairs to the home’s foundation:
Now, in this case, the property we purchased came with these problems, and we’ve no choice but to fix them. But prevention is the best method here, and whether you’re actively working on repairs or worried about future ones, making sure you don’t need to perform them is the best way to go.
Foundation repair is expensive, and even small cracks can be made into major structural issues from seasonal changes. The freeze-thaw cycle, particularly in colder climates, is an absolute concrete-killer. When water from runoff seeps into a crack and freezes, it expands and further opens the crack and stresses the structure even more.
This is why any foundation issues need to be addressed right away but also important is preventative or corrective measures to ensure that those issues don’t come up again. In other words, if you have problems with drainage, it will be a going concern until the issue is corrected. Keep in mind that foundation cracks can be the result of other causes (such as tree roots), but water runoff can and will exacerbate them.
So what are some ways to ensure proper drainage? A basic rule of thumb is to avoid standing water pretty much anywhere; whether it’s in the yard or on/near the roof. It can be as simple as keeping your gutters clean to avoid pooling of water on roof, and making sure your downspouts are clear. Remember, standing water will cause a problem one way or another. It can breed insects, kill grass, seep into the basement, damage the foundation, or damage the roof. You’ll also want to make sure your roof is in good repair in general to prevent water from seeping inside from the top down.
In this example, we’re replacing a roof that’s seen better days, due in no small part to poor maintenance and water damage:
In addition to keeping your downspouts clear and unobstructed, you also want to ensure that they drain locations that are manageable instead of next to the home itself. You can buy extenders for downspouts to direct water further away from the home (at least five feet away from your foundation) but wherever it goes, you need to make sure the location is properly maintained and designed for proper drainage.
But what does it mean to manage water on the ground? Sure, you need to direct water from your downspouts, but you also need to prevent standing water elsewhere on your property. For one, water gathering anywhere can seep through soil and make its way to your foundation, and for another, it can also run downhill towards your home.
Some simple landscaping and a few additions can solve this. You want to always make sure the gradient of the surrounding land goes away from your home. You want the earth around your home to have a slope of 6 inches within the first ten feet of soil/landscape. Then, when water is directed away from it from the downspouts it doesn’t just flow right back, and it ensures that no runoff from the yard makes its way to your home either.
On other areas of the property, consider using alternatives to concrete- or asphalt-paved surfaces. More porous surfaces such as brick, gravel, wood chips, or stone slab allow water to drain more easily and won’t allow it to pool or run off. If areas must be paved, keep it to a minimum and direct the runoff onto grassy areas where it can seep into the soil, but take care that these areas are at least ten feet away from the home.
Design your landscape topography to facilitate water holding and infiltration where it makes sense. For example, use low areas for “rain gardens,” terrace to slow water runoff, or incorporate subsurface water holding areas. Plants are also your friends here. You can use ones that are deeper-rooted than turfgrass, which will allow for more water infiltration.
If you’re near a water source such as a creek, plant buffer strips of natural vegetation and woody plants to slow runoff. Mulch and plant exposed soil as soon as possible after construction, renovation, or repairs to extant water or drainage issues. Use sediment barriers when necessary. You should also avoid excessive soil compaction and disturbance to the lot, because compacted soil will allow less water to seep in and cause it to pool or runoff into undesired areas. Remember, seepage close to the home itself is bad, while seepage further away on the lawn is a good thing in most cases.
Every situation is unique, especially when it comes to what solutions or preventative measures you’ll employ to protect your home, but the one thing that’s consistent all across the board is the danger poor water management or drainage design poses to a home. It can result in costly repairs or severely devalue your property, and you want to take all the steps you can to avoid that.
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– Get It Right Solutions