When Mother Nature gives areas like Atlanta a good soaking rain, which is frequently throughout the year, it’s common to see water pooling next to your house and around your property. Atlanta’s sandy soil is generally well-drained, but there are circumstances where the water will puddle around your foundation. This is largely due to improperly functioning gutters and downspouts. Clogged or broken pipes in these exterior drainage systems can cause water to collect in puddles directly next to your home’s foundation, which then can lead to a host of problems throughout the structure.
How Pooling Water Affects Your Home’s Foundation
Gutters are installed along the bottom of roof slope areas, and gutters are attached to the bottom of these gutters, usually in corners. Horizontal gutters collect rainwater and direct it to vertical downspouts. When connected to extensions on the ground, this system helps divert this water away from the foundation.
If any piece of this system is damaged by leaves from trees, debris, punctures, dents, or other mishaps, it will not function properly. Clogged gutters and downspouts can cause water to spill over and collect directly next to your foundation.
Excess water is a problem in areas like Columbus that have expansive clay-based subsoil. Homeowners commonly experience the effects of hydrostatic pressure forced on foundation walls by overly saturated soil. This can lead to foundation problems such as cracking, bowing, and leaking foundation and basement walls, as well as leaning chimneys, sticking windows and doors, and uneven floors. These issues also can result in further damage and potentially expensive repairs.
How Gutters Can Protect Your Foundation
Water will always follow the path of least resistance and can find its way inside your home through cracks and other means. But there are ways to protect your home without having to invest in expensive or extensive repairs.
Having quality, functioning gutters and downspouts goes a long way to keep excess water away from your foundation. The team at AquaGuard can help safeguard your home with a variety of gutter and downspout styles to suit your taste, budget, and home’s drainage needs.
Ensuring these pipes are free of clogs and debris to allow the proper flow of water also is imperative. While it can be a daunting task, it is important to inspect the condition of your gutters and downspouts at least twice a year – once in the spring and again in the fall – and to remove any items that would impede their optimal function.
Frequently Asked Questions – Puddles around foundation
Water around or under your foundation is a problem no matter how much water there is. Of course, excessive amounts of water – from heavy rains or poor drainage – are particularly problematic. This water needs somewhere to go, and it often saturates the soil immediately surrounding your foundation and contributes to hydrostatic pressure. This can lead to cracking, bowing walls, as well as leaking and flooding.
Having the proper water management solutions in place outside your home is important to keeping your property and foundation dry. These systems include:
Gutters
Gutters collect rainwater and direct it down to the ground through downspouts. These channels need to remain free of debris and clogs in order to properly function.
Downspouts
These vertical pipes are connected to the gutters to divert rainwater down to the ground and away from the home. Like gutters, these pipes must be damage-free and clog-free to properly protect your home.
Downspout Extensions
These extensions should be at least 10 feet long to redirect water away from the foundation. Extension pipes that are shorter or nonexistent allow water to puddle next to the foundation and cause various damage.
Positive Landscape Grading
The ground next to your foundation needs to have a positive grade, meaning it slopes down and away from the foundation, not towards it. Otherwise, water will be able to collect right next to the foundation and leak inside.
AquaGuard’s Reliable Gutter Systems Can Protect Your Home
As you can see, having trusted gutter and downspout systems is important in maintaining the health, safety, and structural integrity of your home. But these often delicate and complicated systems can present a challenge to homeowners. That’s where the experienced team at AquaGuard comes in. Our expert inspectors can help determine how to best protect your home, and our highly trained crews will install these quality systems with little disruption to your property.
If you notice problems with puddling water around your foundation and exterior drainage issues, contact our team today to schedule a free inspection and repair quote.
