Can water damage the concrete foundation? Do you have standing water around your house foundation? Here, we will be discussing foundation water damage.
Water Damage To House Foundation
Often, homeowners have to deal with varying moisture problems that weaken their structures.
Such moisture gives rise to mold growth, termite presence, peeling paints, wet stains on walls, and bent wooden floors. These and many others are structural issues caused by moisture.
How long does it take for water to ruin the foundation?
What happens if water gets under the foundation? Is water damage considered structural damage? What happens if there is basement water damage beneath my home?
This article takes a look at water damage to the house foundation. As a homeowner, this is one situation you’ll want to avoid due to its damaging effects. Plus, a lot of costs may be incurred when fixing the property.
Property value also decreases as buyers are likely uninterested in buying your home.
Signs of Water Damage to House Foundation
How do house foundations get water damaged?
One of the things you need to know about water damage is that signs are always present. Such may be subtle or quite obvious, depending on the damage condition.
The untrained eye doesn’t quickly recognize these signs until the problem worsens. So, what are the symptoms of water damage to a foundation?
They include cracks in the sheetrock and caulking disintegrating or pulling away from exterior surfaces surrounding fixtures and tubs.
Other signs include the presence of ants within or around your home, increased difficulty closing or opening doors, and cracks in stone or brick fireplaces.
You may also notice your windows are difficult to close, in addition to raised or cracked sections of floors. Ceiling joints may also be introduced, in addition to the possibility of nails pulling out of sheetrock.
Another thing you might notice is the appearance of cracks in brick and mortar.
These conditions signal the steady and gradual disintegration of your home, thanks to water damage to your foundation. Further deterioration is bound to occur without urgent action to fix the problem.
Plus, mold issues are never absent when there’s water damage.
Causes of Water Damage to House Foundation
Our discussion won’t be complete without looking at common causes of water damage to house foundations.
There are several causes of water damage to a home’s foundation. Your situation may be a result of one or more of these causes. These include underground water as well as surface water.
Other likely causes of water damage include trees situated too close to your building, poor drainage, and unstable soil. For a better understanding of these points, let’s briefly discuss each as follows;
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Underground Water
When it comes to underground water, two types include naturally occurring water as well as plumbing installations. Naturally occurring water includes springs close to or beneath the building.
The presence of underground springs may be due to the proximity of a pond or other water bodies.
Artificial underground water, on the other hand, arises from plumbing installations that may pass below the building. Leaks from such facilities may affect your home’s foundation.
You’ll need to call for a fix to have any relief from the problem.
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Surface Water
Surface water coupled with improper grading of your landscape is likely to result in or cause water damage to your foundation. As rain falls, it’s expected to be directed away from the building by the outward slope of your home’s landscape.
However, when your home surroundings aren’t graded, such water will likely form pools within your yard. It may also collect around the building, which results in its absorption by the foundation.
This translates to a whole lot of problems. Plus, the drainage capacity of your soil may be overwhelmed.
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Close Proximity of Trees to the Building
Although trees are desirable to have around homes due to several benefits, they could be a problem when they’re situated too close to the structure.
Three branches extend outwardly in search of water and nutrients. These may affect underground installations like sewer lines, plumbing, and drainages.
What results is a clogging situation that worsens the presence of moisture, thus causing water damage, among other issues. If you’re faced with such a situation, you may have to cut down such trees, have the stump uprooted, and cut further back.
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Poor Drainage
This has to do with your roof’s drainage system. Gutters and downspouts provide a vital drainage function as they guide rainwater down.
However, water damage issues are likely to result when these get clogged. You’ll need downspouts extending away from your home’s foundation to prevent any water problems.
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Unstable Soil
Certain soils tend to be more compact than others. These are better for building structures.
If your home is built around locations with loose soils, you will likely face significant structural problems ranging from cracks to water damage. Unstable soils are easy to get flooded.
How can you prevent water from damaging your foundation? Let’s find out.
Preventing Water Damage to Foundations
We’ve mentioned the issues that could arise from water damage to your home’s foundation. Here, we’ll look at ways to prevent or fix the problem.
First, hiring a structural engineer or contractor is essential to help fix the problem. A wide range of solutions can be given by such expert(s).
Due to the technical nature of such interventions, we won’t be getting into them. However, you can take measures to prevent water damage to your home’s foundation.
These include checking the length of your downspouts and ensuring your landscape slopes outward.
Other possible solutions include regularly cleaning gutters, installing a sump pump, and watering your foundation during summer.
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Checking the Length of Your Downspouts
Downspouts help convey rainwater from your gutter and away from the building. When the length isn’t sufficient, the aim of having it in place is defeated.
Ensure your downspouts convey water as far from your home’s foundation as possible.
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Have an Outward-Sloping Landscape
As stated earlier, your home’s landscape matters a lot. Ideally, it should slope outward to prevent water from collecting around your home, which could damage the foundation.
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Regular Gutter Cleanup
Your gutters need to be cleaned as frequently as possible to remove debris that could clog up or prevent the free movement of rainwater. This will help avoid water damage to your foundation.
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Installing a Sump Pump
Installing a sump pump in your basement helps tackle eventual flooding that could affect your home’s foundation. It’s essential to have a functional sump pump at all times.
Whenever you notice water damage to your home’s foundation, it’s due to one or more of the conditions above.
By taking appropriate measures such as those provided, you should be able to tackle the problem.