ASHWORTH DRAINAGE BLOG
Soil surrounding your homes’ foundation can contain a lot of moisture, and the force of this waterlogged soil is called hydrostatic pressure. It’s one of the leading causes of basement drainage issues. It is the force behind leaks, cracks, and even the bowing of the foundation, but with the proper protection, you can prevent these problems!
Waterproofing and drainage problems are not always easy to spot. When these issues are small, they can be almost imperceptible; it isn’t until they become large that the average homeowner notices – think flooded basements, water spots on walls, and damaged items.
A professional, visual inspection can detect these problems before they cause extensive (and expensive) damage. Waterproofing inspections can identify any signs of poor drainage and foundation damage. Here’s how they work!
Water isn’t immune to gravity: it always moves to the lowest point. On many properties, that can be the ground around a home. When heavy rains fall or snow begins to melt, all that water can flow through the soil and right up to the foundation walls. One of the ways to stop this water from staying next to the concrete is to have a system that takes the water away. This is the French drain.
A French drain (also known as a weeping tile system) helps the drain out of the soil and around the foundation. It’s a key part of the protection system for your basement, and there are other benefits to having a working French drain, too!
Proper drainage around your swimming pool is important to keeping sanitary; you don’t want to let soil and debris flow into the water you’ve spent so much time and money cleaning! “Proper drainage” means getting rid of any standing water around the pool and deck and preventing pooling in planters, garden beds, and lawns that surround a below-ground pool.
Water coming into a basement doesn’t only damage the structure of a home and what’s inside – it can cause dangerous mould growth, too. Mould and mildew start growing within 24-48 hours of even the smallest amount of water exposure, and if left longer than two days, the problem can spread far beyond where the water damage is taking place.
Keeping a basement dry means keeping moisture off the outside of the concrete foundation. For this, many homeowners turn to a waterproofing membrane. How are these products made and will they stand up to the pressures surrounding your basement?
Spring and winter are the seasons with the most water, but summer poses unique challenges for your foundation and basement. Here are the three most common drainage problems warm weather poses for inside a basement, next to foundation walls, and on the lawn of homes around London!
Weeping tiles are an important part of your foundation, as they drain excess water away from the walls. But weeping tiles aren’t only found there – they are key to septic systems, too! For homes with a septic system, you may know them as “leaching lines” that send liquid to what’s called the tile bed, leaching bed, or leach field.