When you purchase a new home for your family, you want to make sure everything functions properly. You check the roof for leaks, the sinks for proper drainage, and the floorcoverings for damage.
But even with these precautions, you might still encounter complications with water. These issues could cause serious property damage—and cost you hundreds or thousands of dollars in repairs if left unchecked.
The next time you inspect your property, keep these five tell-tale signs in mind. If you notice any of the following, call a drainage expert immediately.
- You Find Water Stains in Your Basement
If you see traces of water on your home’s foundation, you know that water from your house or yard has escaped. Water stains located high up on the foundation wall indicate that the drainage problem originated outside your house. To find the source of these issues, check your rain gutters for clogs or your soil for standing water.
But if you notice continuous line of water stains in your basement, you may face a more serious matter. You could live in an area with a fluctuating water table that causes water to leak inside your home. Or if your home was built below the water table line, this could cause city storm drains to back up inside your house.
To solve any of these issues and prevent damage to your belongings, clear your basement of all valuables and invest in a sump pump to keep your drainage under control.
- You Spot Standing Water in Your Yard
It’s normal for water to cover your lawn for a few hours after a heavy rainstorm. But if you notice puddles or even lakes in your yard long after the sunshine has returned, you need to fix your drainage problem or settle with a flooded basement until you move out.
Your yard should shed water into curbs and gutters—features designed specifically to channel water into storm drains. But if your yard slopes away from these features, the water can’t escape from your property and will run into its lowest point.
To repair the damage before it gets worse, talk to your drainage expert about installing French drains. Named for Massachusetts farmer Henry French, these natural looking drains use gravel and drainage pipes to line trenches in your yard and pull standing water off your lawn and into a drain.
- Your Foundation Begins to Crack
Small, thin fissures in your foundation are normal, but when you notice a gaping hole that continues to grow, your foundation could fail.
If you see uneven flooring or cracked brick or sheetrock inside your home, you know that your foundation is in trouble. When your foundation deteriorates, it allows room for moisture to enter and exacerbates the situation. It even puts your whole building at risk. Call a professional if you notice any of the above warning signs so you can repair your foundation and avoid unnecessary damage.
Remember these six warning signs when you buy or inspect a new property. Early detection could save you time and money in the long run. If you encounter any of these problems on your property, call a drainage expert immediately.
- Your Rain Gutters Overflow Every Time it Rains
If your gutters cause a torrent of water to splash around your home during a storm, you know you’ve got a problem.
The root cause of your drain blockage could be something as simple as leaves and debris caught in the gutter. But if your gutters were poorly installed or pitched incorrectly, a simple rain gutter cleaning won’t resolve the matter.
Call a professional to assess your rain gutters and see if you need to replace them or extend them farther away from your homes foundation before it rains again.
- Your Home Smells like Mildew
When you discover mold in your basement, you could face complications from both above and below your home.
From above, you could see accumulated moisture because of roof leaks or improper waterproofing techniques. From below, in your basement or crawlspace, you might observe the result of moisture that can’t drain properly. As a result, it condenses behind your walls or under your carpets. If you fix the drainage issue sooner rather than later, you could save yourself thousands of dollars in remodeling repair.
