Does Your Home Have Poor Drainage?

By Northern Virginia Landscaping
March 22, 2021

A poor drainage system can leave many warning signs around your home, like moisture stains on your basement walls, cracks in your foundation, or pools of water near the perimeter of your home. Thus, it’s essential to be mindful and alert to those signs. If you notice them, be proactive and seek assistance in installing reliable yard drainage solutions.

Northern Virginia Landscaping provides excellent drainage solutions and high-quality landscaping services for homeowners and businesses. Our experienced team can help improve your drainage system as well as transform your yard or garden into a verdant landscape. We have repeat and referred clients throughout Falls Church, VA, who seek our services, friendly support, and efficient work ethic.

Below, we lay out signs that indicate your home has poor drainage as well as possible solutions for this:

Signs Of & Solutions For Poor Drainage

Flooding Gutters

A significant sign of a poor drainage system is constantly overflowing gutters, even during drizzles. While this may indicate that clogged gutters, it could also mean that they are undersized or improperly positioned.

Almost anyone can fix clogged gutters with a high step ladder, a pair of gloves, and some time. However, if your gutters are built or installed incorrectly, they must be replaced.

That being said, gutters protect your roof, as well as the sides of your home, from water damage. This includes your foundation as well. If you didn’t have them, gutters wouldn’t be there to channel all the excess water from your roof away from the ground surrounding your foundation. If that was the case, all that water would collect around the foundation and end up forming cracks in it.

Short Downspouts

Another sign that your home needs improved drainage is the length of your downspouts–the component of your gutter system that channels excess water from your gutters down to the grounds near your home. Ideally, these should be channeling water as far from your home as possible.

However, if you notice that your downspouts are producing puddles of water near the perimeter of your home, then they are likely shorter than they should be. This could put your foundation in danger–all that excess water would seep into the ground, damaging your home’s foundation, just as it would with overflowing gutters.

Another solution would be to hire a landscaping company to install french drains near your downspouts, effectively eliminating any risk of water damage to your home.

Foundation Cracks

Cracks are another potential indication of poor drainage in and around your home. Of course, we warn that any crack wider than ⅛ of an inch requires attention. Mark its place and measure it consistently, taking note of its width each time. If the cracks are growing, that likely means trouble.

If the crack stays a consistent width and is suitably stable, then it is likely that it won’t cause a basement flood. However, a crack that continues to grow wider may indicate a drainage issue that simple sealants can’t fix. Excess water seeping underground and reaching your foundation will put pressure on your foundation walls, which could be the reason why the crack grows.

First, contact a structural engineer to assess the situation and provide solutions to repair the growing crack. Also, consider hiring a drainage contractor to help reduce the amount of water reaching your home’s foundation.

Northern Virginia Landscaping: Innovative Yard Drainage Solutions in Falls Church, VA

Having a poor drainage system around your landscape can spell trouble for your home, especially its foundation, which is a bulwark that protects the inside of your home from excess water. To ensure its integrity, all you need is assistance from a team of drainage professionals who provide effective yard drainage solutions, such as Northern Virginia Landscaping. We’ve installed numerous drainage systems for residents throughout Falls Church, VA.