Site drainage problems

Site drainage problems

Inspect the grounds of your old house for drainage problems

Observe the drainage pattern of the entire property, as well as that of the properties next door.

The ground should slope away from all sides of the building. Downspouts, drains and gutters, should re-direct water away from the foundation. Check the planting beds next to the foundations.

Planting beds are often mounded in a way that traps water and edging around planting beds acts like a dam to trap water. Most problems with moisture in basements are caused by poor site drainage. The ground also should slope away from window wells, outside basement stairs, and other areaways.

The bottom of each of these should be sloped to a drain. Each drain should have piping that connects it to a storm water drainage system, if there is one, or that drains to either a discharge at a lower grade or into a sump pit that collects and disperses water away from the building. Drains and piping should be open and clear of leaves, earth, and debris. A garden hose can be used to test water flow, although its discharge cannot approximate storm conditions.

Where a building is situated on a hillside, it is more difficult to slope the ground away from the building on all sides. On the high ground side of the building, the slope of the ground toward the building should be interrupted by a surface drainage system that collects and disposes of rainwater runoff.

There are two general types of surface drainage systems: