Water pooling next to house

Water is powerful. It's behind some of nature’s most formidable events—tsunamis, floods, and hurricanes. It has sculpted wonders like the Grand Canyon and Carlsbad Caverns. But it’s actually pooling water you should worry about most as a Virginia homeowner, because water that collects at your building’s foundation can severely impact your property’s appearance, safety, and value.

Our team at Tidewater Roofing knows all kinds of ways to keep rainwater away from your building’s foundation, including leaf-free gutter systems that ensure proper drainage during storms and prevent overflows. Below, we explain exactly how water can affect this integral part of your building and what you can do to protect your investment.

How Water Collects at Your Building’s Foundation

Water can make its way to the foundation of your home or business from a few different sources. Here are some of the most common ones:

• Natural flow from nearby bedrock
• Runoff from sloped landscaping
• Water in backfilled soil
• Excess from well-watered gardens near the foundation
• Poorly designed or clogged gutters
• Broken water lines beneath build
  

  3 Ways to Stop Water From Pooling Around Foundation Walls

  Downspouts that discharge water too close to the foundation greatly increase the risk of water seeping into the basement or crawl space.

  Rain and snow melt have the potential to wreak havoc on an unprepared property. Unless something is in place to block it, this water will build its way down to your foundation walls, creating pressure that will eventually cause leaks – and one day, you may walk downstairs to find a basement full of water.

  Fortunately, there are a few steps you can take to make sure that rainwater won't have the chance to pool around your foundation. If you're worried about water getting to your foundation walls, the three major changes you can make are:

  • Grading. The terrain around your house should always slope down from the building. Most homes are initially built with proper grading. But over the years, the soil tends to settle, and sometimes it begins to dip drop than the surrounding soil. Fluid runs downhill into this depression, and absorbs into the dirt around the foundation. For that reason, the yard might necessitate to be re-graded a scant times over the years.
  • Gutters and downspouts. Gu

    rainwater pooling against wall

    Just some interim suggestions Sara, particularly as you're not wanting to spend much cash just now......
    Suggestion 1.
    Your garden is able to cope with a certain amount of rainfall. Admittedly nothing will cope with the monsoons we appear to be having, but its a start......create a small cement 'hump' between the neighbours path and yours. It doesn't need to be high, just a sort of a barrier, if you like. That should prevent water coming on to your path from hers. Next, remove a couple of those vertical retaining flags that hold your garden soil back. This is to allow any standing water to run away on to the garden and soak in. Lower the soil level there, just to give a sort of moat for the water to collect in.
    Personally I don't think your property is in any sort of threat from this foundation wise - after all, we all get downpours from time to time - but whatever happens, you don't want your wall DPC to be breached in any way. Its not easy to see where the DPC actually is - maybe you could point it out for us? Ideally the DPC needs to be 2 brick courses higher than the path, so any splash is accommodated.
    Obviously when the neighbours drive was p

    Ask Veronica: How can I stop rainwater from pooling near my house?

    Foundation walls, basements, crawl spaces, lower-level rooms, and window wells are the most common areas for rainwater to pool, says Donna Delaney, owner of Dowco Enterprises in Chesterfield. And, any water inside the home that’s not from plumbing should be addressed before it can cause damage to floors, walls, insulation, and belongings, leading to mold, rot, and structural issues over time. “If you see puddles, water stains, musty smells, or increased humidity in basements or lower levels, it’s time to act,” says Delaney. “Waiting only increases the chance of mold and structural damage.”d

    Courtesy of Dowco Enterprises

    Courtesy of Dowco Enterprises

    Delaney, who has 35 years experience in the field of lawn and landscape care, suggests homeowners consider one or more of the following methods for keeping water away from the house. These steps, she adds, can make a big difference: 

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    Is pooling water around your home a problem?

    We all know rain; especially prolonged rain events can lead a variety of problems around your home including:

    • Flooding/Pooling
    • Drainage problems
    • Mold & Mildew
    • Water Contamination
    • Roof Leaks
    • Sewer Backup
    • Power Outages
    • Landslides
    • Foundation Issues
    • Erosion
    • Damage to Outdoor Structures
    • Blocked Gutters & Downspouts

    While we cannot help with all the listed problems above, we can help you with pooling and drainage issues especially in your yard! Where you may not have previously had a pooling or drainage problem in the past, recent rain events may have resulted in this new problem forming.

    You may have started to notice pooling or damp areas in your yard after rain. Here’s a few tips on how RELN can help you fix this problem with the C-M-R approach.

    Catch:
    Consider using RELN’s range of pits or channel drains, placed strategically these solutions collects excess rainwater around the surface of your yard. This prevents pooling, preserving the health of your lawn and preventing potential damage to home and foundations.
    To learn more about which RELN product will suit your pooling water problem – Try our R