What is the Problem?
Standing water means the soil is saturated. It has absorbed all the water it can. Excess water sits on the top and becomes the puddle you see. Saturation causes the soil to expand. Expanding soils can lift your home, possibly many inches. You want to reduce this. Proper Foundation Drainage keeps the dirt around your house from getting saturated.
Quick Fact: In the US, expansive soils cause over $2.3 billion of damage every year
Foundation Drainage – Where to Start
After the rain stops, watch the time. You want to see water with 10 feet of your home drain away. If it does, your drainage is good.
- 99% of foundation movement is caused by the soil under the foundation moving.
- 90% of moving soil happens because soil water content changes.
Control the water in the ground and diminish most foundation movement. The solution is proper foundation drainage. It is the best prevention for reducing the need for foundation repair.
Foundation Drainage – It is on the Slope
The easiest way to drain the soil around your home is to grade (shape) the surface. Slope the ground, dropping at least 2 inches every 10 feet from your home. A slope of one to two inches per foot is often recommended for 5 feet by engineers. Much of Texas is flat. This makes it impossible to slope land away from the foundation. This is where drainage comes in.
Low-Relief Drains
Is your lot so flat that you cannot get an excellent sloping surface? Install low-relief area drains. Both low-relief drains and standard area drains are great options:
- Low-relief drains are only 6 inches deep.
- Standard area drains are 12 inches deep.
Connect drains to smooth PVC drain pipes in situations with little slope. Smooth pipes drain when slopes are only 1 inch of drop for every 10 feet. Make sure to install the pipes to the street where they can drain the water.
Use the Right Pipes
Avoid using black corrugated ABS pipe. Over time, the pipe bends and becomes uneven as the ground moves. Debris gets caught in the grooves and the now bent pipe. Trapped debris, such as leaves and twigs, prevent water from draining away.
Remember Your Gutters
Have you noticed storm water gushing out of your gutters and downspouts? You want to move this water away from your foundation. Use splash blocks to disperse the water. It is better to have a drainage system next to your house to connect the downspouts to the drain. Do not connect downspouts to perforated pipes!
Additional Foundation Drainage Tips:
- Gutter and Downspout Runoff Tips
- The Power of French Drain Systems in Foundation Repair
- Foundation Waterproofing How to – Compare Effective Ways for Stopping Water
Get Ready
May is the wettest month in North Texas. But foundation drainage problems can happen at any time of the year. Do you have foundation problems? Give us a call and schedule a foundation drainage review.
