Causes of Water Damage

5/9/2022 (Permalink)

There can be multiple causes of water damage to a home’s foundation. Water damage can result due to one or more of these likely causes:

• Underground & surface water
• Trees to close to the building
• Poor drainage
• Unstable soil

Underground Water

There are 2 types of underground water: natural occurring and plumbing installations. Natural occurring water includes springs close to or beneath the home. The presence of underground springs may be caused by proximity of pods or other bodies of water. Artificial underground water alternately is created from plumbing installations that pass below a home. Leaks from installations may also affect your home’s foundation.

Surface Water

Surface water combined with the improper evaluation of the landscape causes damage from rain. Rain fall is expected to be directed away from the home by an outward slope of the landscape, but when a home is not graded correctly, it is likely to have pools of water form in your yard. Surface water can also collect around the home and can result in absorption through the foundation.

Tree Proximity

Trees are usually desirable to have around homes because of the benefits they produce but can turn out to be a hassle when they are too close to the structure. The roots of a tree extend outward to try and find water and nutrients. This can affect underground installations like sewer lines, plumbing, and drains. This results in clogging that can contribute to water damage.

Poor Drainage

The roof’s draining system is a vital structure to your home because they guide water down and away from the structure. However, when gutters and downspouts get clogged, water damage is likely to occur.

Unstable Soil

Certain soils are more compact than others and better for building structures on. Loose soil is more likely to cause significant structural problems from cracks and result in water damage because of easy flooding.