Well, maybe not “easy” but simpler than some people would have you believe…
We tell our inspection clients often that water is “enemy number one” because water can cause more damage more quickly than just about anything. It’s no surprise, then, that water control is priority number one; and moisture intrusion is one of the most common deficiencies we come across at the homes and commercial buildings we inspect.
Here in the Northeast region, it is almost a guarantee that a house with a basement or crawlspace will have some level of excess moisture, with the exception of newly constructed homes that were built with a foundation waterproofing system. The fact that something is common, though, doesn’t mean it’s okay, and countless homeowners spend many thousands of dollars trying to waterproof an older foundation to prevent damage, mold growth and a myriad of other problems. The question is, are costly repairs and waterproofing systems always necessary, or are there easier and less expensive alternatives?
Before you hire a large company to install an interior drainage system with sump pumps and DryLok your basement walls, install a French drain, or perform another extensive job, there are a few simple things you can likely do on your own that may solve the problem and save you loads of money. To keep things simple, try to remember the acronym “GRVD,” which stands for “grading, rain spouting, vegetation and dehumidifier.”
Water control is really quite simple when you understand that all water in a home comes from one of two sources – weather outside (rain, snowmelt, etc) and interior plumbing. As long as there are no interior plumbing leaks, you can assume that the vast majority of unwanted water intrusion (if not all) is coming from the exterior, and especially during periods of heavy or prolonged rainfall. So, what can you do outside to help prevent water from coming into your home?
First, make sure that the soil around your home is positively graded, meaning sloped away from the foundation. We like to see at least a 6-inch drop over a span of 10 horizontal feet, but a greater slope is even better. Soil naturally compacts down over time, so it’s important to go a little overboard when first correcting soil grading to be sure it remains positively sloped as time passes. Water will naturally follow the path of least resistance downward, and how your soil is graded will determine whether water flows directly toward your foundation or down and away from your home. It’s really that simple, yet inadequate grading is present at nearly all houses.
Next, it’s time to evaluate your gutters and downspouts (rain spouting), which are crucial for collecting and discharging water that pours onto your roof. With a properly installed roof drainage system, water will run down the roof surface and into gutters, then into connected downspouts, and finally into below-grade diverter piping or through above-grade extensions and into the yard. Some homes don’t even have rain spouting, but the ones that do almost always have at least a couple or few issues, like gutter debris, unsealed and leaking seams, insufficient slope, or inadequate extensions. You’ll want to examine your gutters and downspouts carefully to verify that each is properly sized, well secured, adequately sealed, and free of debris. You’ll also want to verify that L-shaped valley shield (splash guard) flashing exists below valleys at inner gutter corners, that “kick-out” flashing exists at the lower corners beneath roof-wall intersections, and that above-grade downspout extensions are present and extended to carry rainwater at least 4-6 feet from basements or crawlspaces and at least 2 feet from slabs. Beyond those basics, it’s a good idea to also consider installing a form of gutter guards to prevent accumulation of gutter debris (leaves, small twigs, shingle granules, etc) as a more permanent and maintenance-free solution to gutter clogging. A word of caution, though: in many cases it’s actually worse to have a poorly functioning roof drainage system than to have no gutters or downspouts at all. That’s because the absence of rain spouting allows water to disperse more evenly, while an improperly sloped gutter, leaking gutter seam or unextended downspout will allow substantial amounts of concentrated water that has been collected and contained to pour onto the ground next to the foundation. Gutters and downspouts should be viewed as a “must” in most cases, but care should be taken to ensure they are actually doing their job to avoid causing even more harm.
After you’ve ensured that soil is positively graded and that your rain spouting is in good shape, it’s time to evaluate the vegetation surrounding your home. Bushes, tree roots and other plants will retain moisture that could lead to unwanted moisture intrusion, and removing or trimming vegetation can have a greater impact than you’d probably assume. In most cases, vegetation does not cause water infiltration to the same degree as grading and rain spouting issues, but maintaining vegetation is another important step you won’t want to neglect when taking measures on your own to better protect your home from water.
If you’ve taken the time and effort to address the exterior issues we’ve gone over and have verified that you have no interior plumbing leaks, the next steps are pretty simple and straightforward. If your basement or crawlspace walls have visible microbial growth (like mold), efflorescence or other discoloration, you can wear personal protective equipment (PPE) and clean the affected surfaces, then set up a dehumidifier to run continually. Be sure to hook up a hose and run it into a drain, or you’ll be forced to manually dump the dehumidifier’s bucket pretty often. You could seal your wall surfaces at this time if you’d like, although sealing products sometimes cause more harm by trapping moisture and causing the underlying masonry to deteriorate over time, and it’s a good idea to verify that you’ve fixed the source of moisture intrusion before performing a mere bandaid fix for aesthetic purposes.
In some cases, waterproofing simply requires extensive work that costs a lot of money – especially when a house exists above a high water table. In most cases, however, the measures I’ve laid out here can be taken rather easily to drastically reduce water infiltration and save thousands of dollars. Water control is an ongoing priority and is never a one-and-done task, but the average home or commercial property owner can do much more than they’d think to control “enemy number one” and keep water at bay.
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