Home Water Drainage
A Home Maintenance Hot Spot
Home Water Drainage is More Important Than you Think
Home water drainage is a priority for good indoor air quality and reduced maintenance costs. The primary cause of damaging mold growth inside your home is water intrusion. It is helpful to realize that for each inch of rain, that falls on 1,000 square feet of roof, produces more than 600 gallons of runoff. Allowing that water to flow close to the foundation is problematic. Stopping and preventing this intrusion is critical.
Gutters
Gutters that are blocked by leaves and debris prevent water flow. A simple sign of a problem is water flowing over the gutter edges. But there are other signs. Vertical streaks of dirt on the outside of gutters, mud spattered on siding, and/or paint peeling off the house in vertical strips are other sure signs of gutter problems. If allowed to continue, overflowing gutters can rot siding, ruin paint jobs and cause even structural damage. The simple solution is to clean the muck out of the gutters. However, gutters that are undersized or improperly pitched are also problematic.
Downspouts
Downspouts carry water from the gutters. Dumping that water too close to the foundation is a big home water drainage problem. It can weaken the foundation because all that water seeps deep into the soil and puts pressure on the foundation walls, eventually cracking them. Downspouts can also direct the water into a crawl space or basement causing additional damage and the potential for mold growth. Use gutter extensions to carry the water at least 5 feet away from the foundation to solve this problem.
Mold in the Attic
The attic might be a surprising place to look for home water drainage problems, but mold on the underside of the roof can be a tipoff to serious trouble at the ground level. There are two possible sources. 1. Bathroom fans are spewing hot moist, air directly into the attic, where it condenses on the cold back side of the roof and causes mold. Venting the fan through an outside wall or roof solves this problem. 2. Moisture from the basement or crawl space is rising through the house and condensing on the underside of the roof. The answer is to find the source of the dampness under the house and stop it.
Turn-Key can help. Our whole house inspection looks for all sources of water intrusion into your home.
