ASHWORTH DRAINAGE BLOG
The window well is an important part of the drainage system that protects your basement from moisture leakage. It’s especially important because windows are a common weak point for foundations, and the barrier around them can wear down over time.
On many, typically older homes, these window wells are defined by a metal or plastic barrier around the window, and that’s about it. However, more and more often you’ll also see gravel or rocks at used at the base of a larger window well. Is this necessary?
Standing water in your yard is a sign of poor drainage, but before you can correct the problem, you need to get that water out of there. You should try to pump any standing water as soon as possible, because leaving it will ruin your lawn, attract mosquitoes, and even affect your foundation if the pool is close enough to your home.
Don’t worry, trying to pump standing water away from your yard isn’t hard, and it doesn’t even require an expensive pump or electricity. You just need to start with a hose!
Repairing vertical or horizontal cracks in your foundation walls, whether they’re inside your basement or on the outer wall, requires a material that is resistant to sagging and designed to hold up against pressure. It has to have excellent adhesion not just to the concrete, but all kinds of masonry, and even wood and metal. There are two suitable materials with which to repair concrete foundations: epoxy crack filler and polyurethane injection. Which is best? (more…)
When a bathroom isn’t properly waterproofed, showers can cause a number of household problems: mold growth, damage to the walls and flooring of the bathroom, and even damage to the structure of the home itself. Good waterproofing prevents all the unavoidable bathroom moisture from getting absorbed into the construction material and damaging it.
Whether you’re installing a new bathroom or retrofitting an older one, there are three main types of bathroom waterproofing materials: liquid waterproofing membranes, foam backer boards, and sheet membranes.
Fixing external cracks in your foundation is absolutely essential. Many cracks cannot be fixed by epoxy or polyurethane injection from the inside, and require outside repairs to prevent them from getting worse. Small cracks can become major structural problems, causing the concrete to heave, contract, and crumble.
If you notice a crack, have it repaired as soon as possible! Repairing any exterior foundation weaknesses as soon as they appear ensures that cracks do not degrade even further and that your basement stays waterproof. Here is how the process works. (more…)
A backyard can be hard to drain as completely as many property owners would like. Whether it’s flat or sloped, a lot of us have to fight against unwanted pools of water turning their lawns into miniature swamps. Things get even messier when these property owners put in a wanted pool of water.
Spring runoff is a frustrating yet always reliable presence for a home located at the base of a slope. It’s not just the surface water you should be concerned with, though that can bring a lot of unwanted soil and plant matter, too; the subsurface water, that moisture flowing beneath the ground, can wreak havoc on your foundation and basement.
Living at the bottom of a hill you have no control over doesn’t mean you have to suffer through these water problems. There are several options you have to reroute both surface and subsurface runoff from your foundation! (more…)
Spring might be the favourite season for many people, but it’s definitely not the best for their home’s foundation. Melting snow and ice combined with rain means your foundation has to stand up to a lot of water pressure, but even one weakness can cause a lot of interior damage. The best way to prevent spring thawing leaks is to make sure there are no cracks or weaknesses in the concrete!
The sump pump is a necessary part of your home’s drainage system. Located at the lowest part of your home, where gravity will lead more excess moisture, your sump pump removes water that accumulates around your basement and crawl space. When snow melts or there’s a massive rainstorm causing water to flow through the soil around your foundation, your sump pump will kick into high gear, protecting your basement from water damage.
Like any other piece of equipment, your sump pump should be examined to make sure it is in working order. You definitely don’t want it to quit on you come springtime! Luckily, this task can definitely be done yourself.
Basement and foundation maintenance isn’t just a warm-weather task. There’s so much you can do in winter to stop major water damage brought when the snow melts and the rain starts. Preventing leaks in the springtime means catching foundation and basement weaknesses before moisture seepage has a chance to make them worse!