You can’t control the rain, but there are steps you can take to minimize the impact of rainwater on your property. According to some clients in the PPC campaign for plumbers, with properly working drainage, large amounts of water can collect in your hard, causing structural problems to your home. Excess rainwater can also damage your plants and invite pests in your yard.
Some signs that indicate a poor drainage include:
- Water finding its way to your basement
- Presence of mosquitoes in water puddles
- Dead plants and trees
- Erosion
- Buildup of ice along walkways and patios in winter
Below are 5 common types of drainage problems that are causing these signs to manifest and how you can fix them:
1. Ponding water
Some properties may have low areas that often trap water when the rain pours. Such areas can contribute to flooding/water damage especially if they are close to your house. This problem may have resulted from erosion after drainage patterns were altered, creating low spots. It’s also possible these low spots were improperly graded.
To prevent ponding water, low areas must be re-graded to eliminate sediment deposits caused by erosion. Reshaping the terrain to improve the way rainwater drains is also an ideal solution. Depending on its complexity, you can tackle the issue DIY-style using a shovel or hire a contractor to do the job using mechanized equipment.
2. Water-clogged soil
Homes with a long driveway or large roof often experience rainwater pouring into their yard. This results in the soil becoming clogged with water. There are different ways to handle this problem: you can tackle it from a plumbing perspective or a gardening perspective. You can use wet plants to get rid of the buildup of water in your yard. Wet plants grow in moist areas since they absorb huge amounts of water. Or you can set up an underground drain across your driveway to limit the amount of runoff water.
3. Flooding
Nothing causes much hassle than walking down to your basement and finding yourself wading through waist-deep water. Flooding problems need to be diagnosed right away, but when it’s caused by underlying plumbing woes, the plumbing problem can be hard to determine.
If the flooding isn’t caused by a damaged septic tank, it could come from standing water outside leaking into your home. In some cases, the water will not move away from your home and it might soak through your home’s foundation, leaking into your basement. It’s best to summon a waterproofing in Toronto who can help you diagnose the plumbing issue and fix it using advanced tools and equipment.
4. Overflowing downspouts and gutters
If it rains and you notice that rainwater flows over the side of the gutter or pools around the downspout, this could be a sign of an underlying plumbing issue. You can address this by cleaning your gutters thoroughly. As with downspouts, consider using corrugated pipes and have them run underneath the soil to shift the direction of the water.
5. Eroding soil
Mishandled surface water is the usual cause of this problem, but this can also be a result of unstabilized steep slopes. Erosion occurs when large amounts of floodwater drain to a steep slope. In some cases, placing large stones (also known as rip-rap) along the eroding areas can solve this problem. However, installing drainage structures may be a great option to catch the flood water right before it reaches the slope and directs the water to a discharge area to lower the possibility of erosion.
Some drainage issues in many residences can be obvious while some require a thorough inspection. Drainage woes can take years to develop. Sometimes, you can only notice them at the onslaught of heavy rain. To make sure future problems are avoided, it’s crucial to get the assistance of Plumbing Authority Inc. to prevent proper damage.