3 Crucial Parts to Good Foundation Drainage

Unfortunately, much of Texas is built on expansive soil. This soil, with a high concentration of clay, holds water longer. As such, it expands when wet and it can shrink dramatically during dry periods. It is not the best soil for building a foundation on, but your home foundation can be just fine if you have proper drainage around your home. There are three parts that can help keep your foundation healthy.

3 Crucial Parts to Good Foundation Drainage

Surface Drainage

Surface drainage controls how much water the soil around your home has a chance to absorb. Even non-expansive soil forms puddles as the soil becomes too saturated. However, surface drainage prevents excess water from being absorbed. The standard technique used to control surface water is grading. By forming small slopes around your foundation, the water rolls away from the foundation instead of pooling next to it. Unfortunately, over time this grading can degrade which will need to be addressed if you see water building up near it.

Gutters

The gutters on your home aren’t just to keep water from damaging your roof, they are crucial for your foundation. Your gutters ferry water away from your roof and to a downspout which then sends it away from your foundation. If it were left to fall naturally, it would drop almost right at your foundation and the force of the fall would severely erode your grading as well.

Subsurface Drainage

This is the last measure of defense against water. Many homes don’t actually need to go quite this far, but if you have had foundation problems in the past, you may need specific subsurface drainage installed. The installation of french drains or channel drains help to whisk excess water away before it can cause problems.

Do you have foundation problems or believe your new home may be at risk? Contact us today to see what Steady House Foundation Repair can do to fix your problems before they get any worse.