It seems every hurricane season is record-breaking these days. High winds, intense rain, and storm surges hit many coastal homes. Flooding is an effect of hurricanes and rainstorms that may be detrimental to homes with weak foundations.
The foundation is the keystone of a house, which protects the rest of its components. Various interactions can affect the stability of your home’s base, like extreme temperatures, earthquakes, tree roots, and more. Water is the main element that compromises the effectiveness of one’s foundation.
Protecting Your Foundation
When your home’s foundation becomes submerged in water, cracks, leaks, and structural harm may occur. If moisture leaks into the cement, mold can develop in your house and degrade your air quality. A cracked foundation can lower your home’s value and cause framing, roof, window, and wall issues.
Mold caused by an inadequate foundation can create severe health effects for residents. When individuals inhale these fungi and have compromised immune systems, they may develop pneumonia. If mold touches a resident’s skin, they can even grow large warts.
Fortunately, there are four methods to keep water away from your home’s foundation, protecting its structure and your health.
1. Install Proper Drainage Systems
Drainage systems can effectively protect your foundation from water damage. Placing drains at the base of your foundation, and around the perimeter of your home, allows water to flow away from your property.
Homeowners can install footing drains to collect and carry water from the base of your home. A footing drain lies below the surface by the bottom of your foundation. This gathers all water that reaches deep regions of your property to restrict the saturation of concrete.
You may also install a less invasive stormwater runoff system known as a French drain. When building this drain, you start by digging a hole around your home’s perimeter, which follows your property’s natural slope. You then place a perforated pipe in the trenches and bury it with gravel. French drains can collect and move stormwater away from your house before it reaches the foundation.
2. Protect Your Gutters
Another method to keep water away from your foundation is to protect your gutters. These systems carry water off and away from your house, preventing moisture from reaching its base. It is crucial to inspect these features regularly to maintain their functionality.
After storms, it is essential to clean them out to prevent moisture buildup. Make sure you address storm damage right away by replacing bent or cracked lengths of gutter. Preserving your gutters will keep stormwater from saturating the perimeter of your home.
3. Install a Sump Pump
A sump pump helps move water through drains and away from your home to keep your concrete dry. Homeowners may install a pump on their footing drains to move liquid towards a stormwater basin.
Many homes also have a designated sump region where water gathers, and a pump filters it off the property. For individuals who live on a flat piece of land or in a valley, a sump pump can effectively protect their foundation from the effects of water damage.
4. Seal Your Foundation
Various elements cause concrete to crack. Settling soil, natural disasters, and water all affect the stability of a foundation. To protect your foundation and your home from the impacts of stormwater, you must seal the present cracks to preserve your home’s base.
First, you must apply caulk to breaks in your foundation to close any gaps or cracks. This material restricts water from flowing into concrete, preventing mold growth and flooding. After applying caulk to openings, you can cover the substance with epoxy paint as an added layer of protection. The paint dries as a solid that further restricts the invasion of water.
Keep Water Away From Your Foundation
If you are looking to protect your foundation against stormwater, it is essential to evaluate your property’s principal risks. There are different approaches to protection for homes on the shoreline and in a valley. Reach out to your local home inspection company and assess your most significant water challenges.
With a greater understanding of your landscape and the elements around it, you can reference the four methods listed above to choose the most effective protection system. It is crucial to evaluate foundation issues early before the introduction of mold or flooding. Water can pose serious harm to one’s home, so ensure you have solid protection beneath you.
Author:
Evelyn Long is the editor-in-chief of Renovated, a home improvement publisher with advice on gardening, decor, and DIY projects.