Drainage System can Damage your Exteriors

Often, people do not realize how much damage water can cause to the exterior of their homes. When you are about to go for exterior home checking of a new home you are about to buy, start with inspection of the drainage system. An improper drainage system can cause irreparable damage to the foundations and the basement of the home. Such a faulty system can cause large quantities of surface water to drain down next to the foundations.

Start by first checking whether the level of the new home is lower than the street level. If this is the case, there is every chance that water may flow in, instead of the other way around. With the home is at a lower level, there is also a chance that the water from your drainage system does not efficiently drain out into the municipal sewage lines. On the other hand, the water from the sewage lines may flow-back into the home’s drainage system. This could cause considerable damage to the home.

You need to consult an expert whether you may need to install backflow valves or standpipes to prevent sewage from the municipal lines to flow-back into the system.



Inspect the Drainage for Blockages – Periodically

Blockage in the gutter drainpipe can cause water overflow, causing damage to the exterior of a home, and further result in mould and mildew. Ensure that these blockages are not there while you are looking for a new home. They can cause substantial damage to the exteriors.

If you want to live near the shore – in what is known as the ‘V’ zone - or near a river or a lake that is subject to rising water – the ‘A’ zone - you should learn about the flooding level - the Base Flood Elevation (BFE) - of your area. Living in such zones, you need to ensure that the lowest level of the home is above the BFE. If you wish to elevate your entire house to the level above the BFE later after buying the house, you may need design standards that meet the minimum requirements of the community's local floodplain management building ordinance.

Inspect the exterior of your home for any standing water. Standing-water problem may be caused to improper surface drainage or improper surface grading. One way to ensure there is no standing water is to have the paved area, or the ground around the exterior of your home, sloping away. Also, check to see whether any debris, twigs and dry leaves are not causing blockage in the drains, as well as in the gutter drainpipe. To avoid water damage to the exterior of the home, water resistant materials need to be used in the areas below the BFE level.