7 Ways Excess Surface Water Causes Damage To Your Property

7 Ways Excess Surface Water Causes Damage To Your Property

Water on a property is unavoidable. Rain and snow bring moisture, and sometimes unusually high amounts of precipitation. In addition, hoses and sprinkler systems are often accidentally left running, or a water table is too high. Thankfully, there are ways to prevent all these scenarios from creating enough excess water to cause damage to your home. In this article, we’ll discuss the seven ways excess surface water causes damage to your property and how to repair it or stop it from happening in the first place.

The Damage

Water isn’t always a problem on a property. We need water to keep the grass green and the trees and landscaping healthy. The problem occurs when there is an excess amount of surface water left standing, or when there is flooding in certain areas.

Let’s look at the seven ways excess surface water can cause damage to your property:

Flooding

The most obvious concern from excess water is flooding. Flooding can sometimes be caused by a small amount of water affecting a localized area with little concern, or possibly a large amount of water causing incredible damage.

When flooding keeps to just the outside of the home, landscaping is destroyed, and the ground is difficult to walk on or enjoy. When water makes its way into a home, either through the garage, basement, or another area, the concern becomes greater as the interior of the home is now being damaged due to flooding.

Flood repair is costly and time-consuming. As soon as any signs of flooding are seen, you should seek a way to stop excess water from affecting your home.

Structural Damage

Excess surface water on your property leads to structural damage. Depending on the amount of water, it can quickly crack, erode, and permanently destroy the following structures over time:

  • Foundation
  • Garage floor
  • Basement
  • Fences
  • Walkway
  • Driveway
  • Outdoor stairs
  • Interior of the home

Damaged Landscaping

Landscaping needs water, but not in excess. Too much water leaves landscaping drowning and unhealthy. Landscaping is an investment, and it’s important to get water damage under control.

The damage sometimes goes unnoticed until it’s too late. Excess surface water leads to eroded soil, which eventually damages trees, shrubs, grass, and flowers.

Soil also becomes compacted, meaning it’s packed down until hard, making it difficult for moisture to penetrate it and get to the roots that need it. Compacted soil leaves excess water standing as the water can’t soak in.

Bad Odors

If you’ve ever had a clogged sink or water standing anywhere in your home for too long, you likely noticed an unpleasant odor. When water sits stagnant, it eventually starts emitting a bad smell. Unfortunately, stagnant water has that effect on a yard. Keep water flowing and leaving your property as it should to avoid unpleasant odors.

Mosquitoes

Nothing ruins beautiful evenings like swarms of mosquitos. There’s a reason dry areas don’t experience these pesky pests, as mosquitos need and enjoy moisture. To avoid having a yard full of them, control excess standing water.

Ice

If you live in a cold climate, excess water quickly turns into excess ice. Ice on your property is dangerous for those living there and for anyone near the property as well. It’s easy to slip and fall in the winter, especially on ice.

When the warm weather returns, the ice melts, and there is then a danger of flooding and other damage.

Hard To Sell

One of the ways excess surface water causes damage to your property is by making it difficult to market or sell your home.

During an inspection, if excess water issues are found and if they are bad enough, then potential buyers will be aware of the water damage when they come to view the home. Clear up any water problems before listing your home.

Consider Your Neighbors

If you have neighbors, the excess water issues on your property aren’t only your problems alone. Water moves and makes its way to the next yard if not taken care of.

When a neighbor’s home is damaged because of negligence on your part, meaning you ignored the excess water issue, they have a right to take legal action. That’s costly, takes up your time, and causes an unpleasant experience with your neighbor.

Fix the Drainage Problem

We’ve covered the ways excess surface water causes damage to your property. Now, let’s move on to how to prevent and fix an excess water problem. Here are a few ways to drain excess water from your property.

Grading

Grading your yard evens it out and builds up areas that are sunken or sloped toward the house rather than away from it. This helps to stop water from pooling.

Downspouts

Repair or extend downspouts to make sure water is drained away from the house.

Increase Soil

When the problem is a high water table, increase the height of soil in your yard to help keep the water under control. Plant plants with shallow roots as well.

Dry Creek

A dry creek is a trench dug where needed then filled with rock or gravel. The creek is designed to direct water away from your property and toward a better area such as a storm drain.

Trench Drain

A trench drain for your yard is made of concrete, about four to six inches wide, and at least two feet long or longer if necessary. The trench drain is placed at a slope, directing excess surface water away from your property. A grate is placed over the drain to keep everyone safe and prevent large debris from clogging the drain.

Trench drains are created using cast-in-place or precast concrete and last for decades, making them an excellent choice.

Excess water on your property is frustrating. With everything else in life to take care of, it’s the last thing you want to deal with. If you have no drainage system, consider installing one before it’s too late and the damage is done. If a drainage system is in place but no longer doing its job, it’s time to repair or replace it with something better.

ABT is the trusted source for controlling excess water damage. We offer residential drainage solutions, as well as commercial and industrial drainage. Contact our experienced team at ABT, and let’s make your property a dry and safe environment.

7 Ways Excess Surface Water Causes Damage To Your Property