Gutters Help Prevent Foundation Erosion Around Your Home

You’ve heard the phrase, “Don’t build your house on sand, it will crumble.” Many of us never consider foundation erosion because we have built our houses on concrete slabs. So our homes must be safe, right? Wrong! Unfortunately our concrete slabs are still built on sand.

Protecting the foundation of your home is one of the most important yet most overlooked problems facing homeowners today. Not to mention the majority of insurance companies do not cover foundation problems. This is something that’s never acknowledged until its too late! Our thoughts are aware of issues like hurricanes, tornadoes and flooding, but never foundation erosion. A small investment in a Seamless Rain Gutter System can ensure you will lessen the chances of ever having to worry about foundation problems.

Problems of Foundation Erosion

The consequences of foundation erosion around your home can be disastrous.  Some of the early signs of foundation erosion include settlement cracks running up the walls of your house and near the windows. In some cases, the hollowed ground under the slabs cause weak spots in the foundation and can result in the walls becoming cracked. Furthermore, the roof itself can crack and cause openings that will continue to spread.

The standing water at the base of your home presents more problems. It becomes a tripping hazard for slips and falls, and will usually attract bugs and mosquitoes. Over time, this pool of water that builds around your home may seep inside and damage your walls, flooring, and valuables within. As you see, this results in a handful of more undesired consequences.

Change in Landscape Pitch

Homes are built with the foundation pitching away from the house so water does not gather at the baseline of the foundation. When there are no gutters on your home, water cascading down the roof continuously pounds at the base of the foundation. The constant pounding of water causes a low point at the baseline of the house therefore changing the designed pitch when the house was built. This causes not only the roof water to gather at the baseline but also the ground water starts to find its way to the lowest point. Keep in mind, this is your house we’re talking about! It is very expensive to have to regrade your landscape after the damage is caused.

A Solution to Your Problems

Gutters and downspouts are designed to catch the water that cascades off the roof line to keep it from damaging the foundation. Once a gutter catches the water, it will disperse it out of the downspouts to a designated area. This helps to remove the water and keep it away from the foundation of the home. In some instances, downspout drainage needs to be buried underground to emit the water in a safe location. In locations where you can not use gutters for whatever reason and water is still an issue, French drains are a great solution.

 

POSTED ON September 9, 2016 // 0 COMMENTS