The ideal environment around your home is one that exists cohesively with the house itself. However, there are several ways that the outside can affect the interior of your home. Specifically, most basement floods are caused by flaws in your landscape, so it is important that you begin identifying them around your property.
Drainage and Erosion Solutions is a highly-experienced home waterproofing company in Arlington, Virginia with a staff of experts that can pinpoint the aspects of your landscape that put your basement at risk for flooding and provide the proper solutions you need. Here are some of the ways we have found landscapes to cause floods in home basements:
Backfilled Soil Surrounding Homes
One of the biggest issues regarding home basement flooding pertains to the soil surrounding its foundation, also known as backfill. This is the soil that is originally removed during an excavation process to build a house’s foundation. After the foundation is built, the leftover soil is used to fill the empty space around it back in. The problem with the backfilled soil is that it lets water easily pass through and into your home’s foundation, thus directly causing a basement flooding. Unfortunately, there aren’t any solutions for this problem, since the backfill is an essential component of your home’s foundation by the time your house has built on top of it. However, waterproofing your home can help prevent this flaw in your landscape from affecting it.
Short Downspouts
Along with highly-porous backfilled soil, the downspouts that release rainwater from your gutters can also contribute to flooding your basement. This may occur if your downspouts are too short, which pours water too close to the foundation of your house. During heavy rains, that water will quickly pass through the backfill and into your foundation and will therefore flood your basement.
In order to avoid this, have your downspout extended further away from your house, so that water from your gutters will pour into the less absorbent, undisturbed soil, and not into the backfill surrounding your home.
Improper Grading
The grading or your landscape, or the level of the ground around house, is another common cause of basement flooding. The ground should slope downward and away from your house on all sides, forcing any excess water in the soil, particularly from the backfilled soil, to flow in the same direction, thus preventing basement floods. However, if your landscape is badly graded in which it pitches inward towards your house, then it will increase the chances of flooding. Schedule a professional service, such as Drainage and Erosion Solutions, to check and potentially adjust the grading of your landscape.
Drainage & Erosion Solution: Home Waterproofing Company in Arlington VA
Secure your home’s foundation from flood damage by waterproofing your landscape. Our team at Drainage and Erosion Solutions are trained in a variety of services, including hardscaping, waterproofing, and many others that have protected numerous homes and businesses from water and weather damage. Contact us at (703) 534-1949 and discuss all your drainage and landscaping needs with a Drainage & Erosion specialist.
