What Does Poor Foundation Drainage Look Like?

How do you know your home is suffering from poor foundation drainage? It’s important to deal with the problem before the damages get too expensive or ruin the quality of life in your own house. Even if the drainage issues have caused some sort of damage around your property, repairs can still be done and prevention methods can be put into place before things get worse. Here’s everything you need to know to detect the problems: 

• In the Home 

You’ll notice when there’s a drainage issue in your yard from within your own home. Because poor foundation issues affect the basement, you’ll be able to tell based on the mold growth, leaking, flooding, and humidity within the basement. If the drainage issues are really bad, your entire house will be inundated with the uncomfortable smell of humidity, and mold might even begin to grow in other areas of the house. 

Poor foundation drainage affects your soil, and when soils shrink or erode due to exposure to excess moisture, settling occurs soon after. Because of foundation settling, you might notice that your window and door frames are warped, cracked, or tilted. 

• Outside the Home  

After some rain, it’s normal for the soil to be moist. However, there shouldn’t be large, deep puddles in your yard. With a proper drainage system in place and a positive yard grade, whatever puddle that forms should be gone in a few hours if there is sufficient sun. Significant paint peeling near the bottom half of your home is another sign to take note of. 

Settling concrete is another sign of poor foundation drainage. When the soil underneath your concrete steps, patio, or driveway is expanding and swelling, it will no longer be capable of supporting your concrete. All concrete settles over time, but if the concrete around your home shows significant signs of settling despite being covered, it could have to do with foundation drainage problems.