Your foundation plays a critical role in your home’s structure – after all, it is pretty much providing support for everything above ground level. And because it plays such a critical role, it’s really important to make sure it stays in the best shape possible with regular and proactive maintenance. A lot of that maintenance is aimed at keeping water and moisture away from your foundation and from the wooden sill plate that rests on top.
In most homes, the sill plate is the transitional element between the concrete, brick or cement basement and the wooden framing elements (like wall studs and floor joists) above. When water is allowed to seep in at the top of the foundation near the spot where the sill rests, the result can be a wet sill plate that translates all that moisture upward to walls and floors. That can cause major problems like rot, mildew and insect infestation.
When water infiltrates a basement through the basement walls or at the juncture between the basement wall and its floor, standing water develops that can significantly increase the humidity levels in your basement, making for poor air quality as well as mold and mildew issues.
For both types of water problems – out-and-out leaks as well as seepage – a good drainage system is just what the doctor ordered to make sure your home steers clear of water-related problems.
Some water problems can be eliminated simply by adding new or bigger gutters, making sure downspouts have long extensions that direct roof runoff far away from the foundation, and properly grading the ground around your home’s perimeter. But unfortunately, there are lots of cases where these steps – though essential – just aren’t enough to prevent water-related problems from occurring. In those instances, adding a drainage system can provide a long-term solution that. While it may seem costly at first, it can result in significant savings and tremendous peace of mind (Imagine: No more puddles in your basement after it rains.).
Now, at first glance, drains appear pretty simple: All you need to do is dig a trench, throw in some stones and tile, cover it over and call it a day, right? Actually, laying drains can be pretty complex. First, you need to understand what’s causing the drainage problem. Then, you need to design the system to address that issue, leading water away from the house – which means figuring out the correct slope – without undermining the integrity of the foundation.