A building’s foundation must be strong enough to make the building durable so that it lasts for many years. Therefore, protecting the foundation from water damage should be your top priority because water can cause maximum damage. Water seepage is the biggest danger for foundations, which will crack the foundation and weaken it if allowed to persist. This can lead to significant damage to the building, which can affect the building safety. Undertaking a foundation inspection by a foundation repair company will help assess the foundation’s health, and you can ask for a free estimate if repair is necessary.
Here are some tips for foundation care that can protect it from water damage.
Maintain visibility of the foundation
Keeping the foundation visible might not seem to be a good idea regarding building aesthetics, but it can go a long way toward proper foundation health. Visibility of the foundation should help to detect signs of water damage quite early, which will not be possible if the foundation remains submerged in the ground. Ideally, there must be a gap between the building exterior and the ground. For brick or cement exterior, at least 6 inches of the foundation should be visible, and for the wooden exterior, it should be 8 inches. Excessive soil near the foundation can make water penetrate to the top of the foundation.
Keep gutters clean
Gutters clogged with debris will prevent water drainage through the downspouts and lead to water accumulation in the gutter which will then overflow from the sides whenever it rains, and find its way towards the foundation. Water pooling around the foundation will make moisture seep into the foundation and weaken it. Yearly or half-yearly cleaning of gutters will ensure proper water drainage without damaging the foundation.
Check the slope of the landscape
Maintaining proper slope during landscaping by ensuring that the hill is directed away from the building will prevent any chance of water accumulated on land to flow towards the foundation. To ensure that the water moves away from the foundation instead of pooling near it, maintain a gradient or slope of 6 inches for every 10 feet of land away from the foundation. Since there are chances of the ground shifting or settling that can form sunken spots around the perimeter of the foundation, fill these appropriately as and when needed.
Check the length of downspouts
The downspouts should be long enough to discharge water at a considerable distance from the building of about 10 feet so that there are no chances of water accumulation near the foundation. The distance will protect the foundation from water as the discharge happens at a faraway distance. Check the length of your downspouts and elongate it to the desired length by using downspout extensions.
Use a sump pump in the basement
Despite your best efforts to keep groundwater away from your home, some water will still find its way to places like the basement. Installing a sump pump in the basement to get rid of groundwater can solve groundwater accumulating at places near the foundation.
