5 Popular Foundation Drainage Methods Explained

Fixing Water Problems with Foundation Drainage Systems

While there are different ways to address water pooling around your home, here are the top five types of foundation drainage:

1. Interior Drainage Systems (The Best Option)

Interior drainage systems are comprehensive solutions for mitigating water damage and protecting your home’s foundation. Coupled with a wall vapor barrier and a dehumidifier, your foundation won’t have to reckon with the forces of nature—the forces of nature will have to reckon with your foundation.

2. Exterior Drainage

Most homes are built with exterior footing drains that move water from the soil away from your foundation, preventing hydrostatic pressure and basement leaks.

As long as the drains are properly functioning, your home is secure. However, drains will break down over time and inevitably fail. Buried in a trench, the surrounding soil can crush and clog them.

While an exterior foundation drain is a building requirement, it’s important to install additional solutions to shore up your home’s defenses.

3. Gutters and Downspouts

4. Yard Grading

Over time, the dirt around your home’s foundation tends to harden and settle, and two things happen that can hurt your home:

• Your yard may begin to slope back towards your home (what’s called negative grad”). This results in the water your downspouts are trying to send away from your foundation trickles back towards it.
• You may discover dips or depressions where your foundation meets the soil and where water is slowly (or not so slowly) eroding the support around it.

Either way, water always takes the path of least resistance. It will flow to the lowest-lying area and form puddles around your foundation.

To prevent this, call a trusted local landscaping expert to help get your yard back to a positive grade that, at minimum declines 6 inches for every 10 feet away from the foundation.

While landscapers can also build up any dips and depressions in your yard, you can probably do this step yourself and save a little on foundation repair costs. Just do the following:

• Add soil to the dip (avoid using sand or mulch, as they can hold more water and don’t compress well).
• Compact the soil thoroughly.
• Leave a gap of at least 4 inches between the siding and the soil to prevent siding rot and deny termites and ants an easy access point into your home.

5. Curtain Drains

A negative grade is one thing, but if your home is located at the bottom of a hill, you face a different challenge entirely when you try to direct water away from the foundation. In your case, curtain drains are key.

Install curtain drains along the edge of the incline to intercept and divert the flow of water away from your home.

Installation is best left to the pros since positioning is important. The process involves digging a trench near the home’s foundation and laying a perforated pipe within it. The pipe is then covered with gravel or stone, and the area is filled in, creating a visible stripe of stone along your yard.

Curtain drains aren’t usually a standalone foundation drainage solution because they can usually only stop water from coming into your home from a single direction. They should be combined with other drainage measures for optimal effectiveness.

How to Get Comprehensive Foundation Drainage Today

Foundation Drainage FAQs

How do I know if my home needs foundation drainage solutions?

Some common signs that your home may need foundation drainage solutions include water pooling around the foundation, cracks in the foundation walls or floors, musty odors in the basement, and signs of mold growth. These indicators often point to excess moisture buildup, which can lead to structural damage if left unaddressed.

Can foundation drains get clogged?

Exterior foundation drain systems are most susceptible to clogs from dirt, debris, and tree roots. The surrounding soil can also crush the drains, rendering them ineffective. Interior drainage is a more effective method. Our proprietary basement drains are manufactured with anti-clogging technology, ensuring your basement stays dry.

How much does a foundation drain cost?

Foundation drainage costs can vary depending on the type of drain, the necessary quantity, and the costs of any accompanying installations, if applicable. Ohio Basement Authority provides multiple flexible financing options, and your inspector can discuss exact costs during a free inspection.

Related Resources

The Most Important Things to Know About Basement Drains

Basement drainage systems can mean the difference between a water-damaged basement that’s teeming with mold and a dry, healthy one.

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Waterproofing your basement is the best way of keeping it dry, odorless, and mold-free. Find out how what factors affect basement waterproofing costs.

10 Benefits of Basement Waterproofing

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Holly Richards-Purpura

Content Writer

Holly is a Content Writer for Groundworks who has written and edited web content for the foundation services industry for almost 10 years. With a background in journalism, her passion for the written word runs deep. Holly lives in Columbus, OH, with her husband. Along with educating homeowners, she also has a big heart for the Big Apple.