Damp basement? Look at the grading around the foundation

Since local guru Punxatawney Phil has predicted six more weeks of winter this year, it may feel like spring is not coming anytime soon.

However, it won’t be long until you may start spring cleaning and discover water, mold and dampness in your basement or even sometimes your garage. What causes this seasonal problem? Oftentimes the solution is to look outside your front door, at the grading around your foundation. Here are some of the most common culprits:

#1 Poorly graded yard and driveway

When a yard is poorly graded in the front of your property, water from the main road will not have anywhere to go but down your driveway. If your grading does not direct water away from your house, moisture will collect there. If your driveway slopes down from the road, this is all but guaranteed unless your home has good dirt work. This is a good reason not to blindly go with the lowest bidder for your dirt work! Contractors often underbid jobs they think they can take shortcuts on— if they are in and out quickly, they may have done some sloppy work on your yard.

It’s like the saying goes: you can have cheap, quick, and correct; but you can only pick two!

#2 Improperly poured foundation

Look at the foundation work: If concrete was poured into a crooked, badly laid or poorly graded foundation, your floors may be slightly uneven, causing all moisture to pool in corners, on one end of your basement, or both! This happens WAY more often than people realize, because they are so impatient to get to the “good part”, aka the finish work, that they rush through the steps of home building that they can’t see. Like your teacher told you in grade school: don’t judge a book (or house) by its cover.

#3 The solution:

The solution is to focus on the fundamentals. There are no quick fixes when it comes to building a house the right way. You can either spend money on a solid foundation with excellent dirt work, with a driveway and yard that are built to drain melted snow, ice and water properly, OR you can spend money annually on fixes. It’s all about what is important to you.

NOTE: This is a situation where the professionals do NOT recommend DIY. Many guys think they can hack it with a mini excavator over the weekend. DO NOT do this if you live in an area that gets significant rain. It won’t work, and your home value will plummet if the yard looks like a wreck. Hack jobs rarely work and are not worth it in the long run.

We specialize in foundation repairs!

Conclusion

Many people would rather spend their house budget on pretty add-ons or the house itself, and that’s fine! However, the professionals recommend that you do not skimp on the basics unless you want major headaches every year. Call us today at 814-221-7424, tell us about your foundation or repair, and see how we can help!