Your Foundation and Standing Water – Not a Good Combination!

We live in Florida which means that water is not an unusual occurrence. No worries though, you’ve heard that we are in a drought situation and haven’t had the normal amount of rain. So how bad can it be if we get some rain. That’s true, but it does not diminish the risk of standing water. In fact, it increases it, as water will still pool. And that can mean trouble for your foundation. Look at it like this – water was the driving force in carving out the Grand Canyon. If it can do that, just think of what it can do to your home’s foundation!

Here are some reasons why water might pool around your foundation:

• Your landscape slopes down toward your home’s foundation
• Your foundation is surrounded by loose, backfilled soil, or clay or sand which don’t absorb water
• Flower beds that are frequently watered are too close to the foundation
• Your gutters are clogged and aren’t directing rainwater away from your foundation

All of the above can be the cause of standing water around your foundation. This water creates pressure on your foundation. The water fills all the cracks in the foundation base and in time the cracks will increase. It’s not much relief when the water has dried up either. Yes, the pressure is relieved, but the cycle of the pressure shifting back and forth puts a strain on your foundation which, in turn, causes damage.

Another danger fact about standing water is what it can do to your home’s crawl space. It can promote settling, resulting in sloping floors and doors and windows that don’t close properly. Couple that with the mold and mildew that the damp ground creates and now you have a health hazard too. Ironically, the health issue that mold and mildew create for humans, is the perfect condition for bugs and vermin. They just love the wet, dark and damp environment! And it only takes 24 hours for mold and mildew to develop. That’s how fast standing water can affect your crawl space.

Are there any easy solutions to avoid standing water around my home’s foundation?

An easy fix is to lay gravel as your landscaping foundation material. It’s protective by nature and can be quite attractive as part of the landscaping.

Another solution is to make sure that the soil around your foundation slopes away from the structure. A good test is to check your drainage after a rainstorm. If no water is pooling around your foundation one hour after the storm, the gravity in your yard is working!

Gutters and downspouts are also an ideal way to ensure that water is drawn away from your home. Keeping them free of leaves and debris, however, is imperative for them to work properly.

Bottom line is that standing water is not a good thing. Call us and have one of our trained foundation inspectors come out and evaluate the health of your foundation. It will save you money in the long run and it will ensure peace of mind as we enter our rainy and hurricane season!