The cost of improper drainage on your home and property can run you into the thousands. Not always, but when your drainage system isn’t working properly, it causes damage to many different areas.
Some repairs and clean-ups are minimal, but others are not. Improper drainage can result in water damage to your home, your property, and even your neighbor’s yard.
The Cost of Improper Drainage
Improper drainages systems cost people thousands and thousands of dollars in repairs and replacements every year.
Erosion
When your drainage system isn’t working properly, the water doesn’t get removed to where it should go, which is away from your home. If it is left to sit, it can start to damage the foundation and other areas of your home.
If the water runs off and away from the property across your lawn or garden, it removes dirt, soil, nutrients, and even your plants with it. It can soak the trees and other plants, causing them to rot.
This can cause your sidewalks and driveway to buckle, crack, or lift. If you have a deck on your house, it can cause the wood to rot, weaken the concrete, and even cause damage to your street.
Flooding
Water can start to pool around the base of your home and start to damage your foundation. If there are already small cracks present, the cost of improper drainage is high.
Not only does it eat at your concrete, but it can allow water in the cracks, making them even bigger. Water damage or flooding in your basement is a mess and a costly one to clean up.
Damaged Belongings
The cost of improper drainage systems can also damage your roof. This will cause your roof to leak or start to fall apart. Water seeping in will run down into your home, damaging walls, belongings, carpets, floors, and more.
The paint and wallpaper will start to peel or bubble, the floors can get warped, the door and window frames become swollen, and you can find damage on every floor.
Mold and Mildew
Once the water and moisture get into your home, mold, and mildew start to form. This poses a health hazard, in particular for those with respiratory concerns or certain allergies.
There is also the cost to have it removed and cleaned up. The odor can be overpowering and linger for many years if not treated and removed professionally.
Damaged Foundation
One of the biggest costs of improper drainage is the results it will have on your home’s foundation. The excess water will soak into the soil around your home, causing the foundation to crack and even shift.
This extra pressure can cause your basement walls to bow in or even start to break. This can lead to extensive damage requiring major repairs. The water needs someplace to go and that’s the outer walls of your foundation.
It’s much easier and much less expensive to keep your entire drainage system in great shape to avoid any unnecessary repairs or emergencies.
The Cost of Improper Drainage
It’s so important that you have your drainage system inspected and maintained regularly. Ideally, your gutters and foundation should be checked by a professional twice a year.
Most homeowners schedule an inspection in the fall and the spring. They get their gutters checked, their HVAC systems, and make sure everything is set for the seasons ahead.
If you need to schedule a service call or need some expert advice on the cost of improper drainage systems, please contact us here at Olson Foundation Repair today.