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June 2006
Water Drainage Problems
By Brian Murray
It’s amazing as to the amount of homes that have unresolved water problems. Sometimes they are present/hidden when the home is purchased or caused by grading, landscaping or additions being added. The cost of resolving the problem is usually not as expensive as the homeowner might think. Sometimes just an additional drainage ditch to the lowest point will correct the problem. There are times when an engineer might have to get involved, but luckily they are few and far between. Not resolving these issues can mean ongoing flooding as well as potential structural damage.
In this day and age people are more transient than previous generations. This means that you might buy/have built a home that you probably won’t live in for the rest of your life. When you contemplate selling you now have to disclose any issues that you are aware of that could have an adverse effect on the purchasers value or perceived value to the quality of living in the purchased home. The list is long and is always being revised, so we won’t get into details. Dealing with known issues just makes good sense from a legal standpoint as well as peace of mind.
One of the more common water problems is surface water. This is the water that you get from surrounding properties, heavy rain, and roof drainage and/or from the ground being frozen and unable to absorb the water. This can be a real problem at certain times of the year, and forgotten about at other times. A lot of times just using a level/transit and figuring out elevations can present a lot of potential solutions. The solution might include open drainage (exposed rock ditch), buried ditch covered with geo-textile, so as to allow a small amount of dirt to cover the drainage, and hide the work performed. As well as previously noted you can also incorporate drainage pipe in the remedy. The amount and types of pipes are numerous and the appropriate type would be decided based on the problem and solution required.
Another common problem is water being directed from an adjacent property. This happens for a variety of reasons of which a few are, resolution of water issues (pass the problem on), natural grade as well as re-grading (landscaping). Trying to resolve these issues can be a little more involved. The first step should be a dialogue started with the property owner who is causing the problem. Most people realize the potential bad feelings, as well, as the legal implications that this can cause. A responsible company will try to resolve the issue without causing any grief to other homeowners. Knowing the best solution and working with all involved can usually make a problem disappear forever.
A lot of times water problems are created by the landscaping company, while grading the property for grass, shrubs etc. The grade has to be right or you will have problems for yourself or your neighbors. The cost of landscaping is not cheap, but can cost a lot more down the road if it has to be redone. Most responsible landscapers are aware, and will price the job according to what is required to do the job right. The problems arise when lack of knowledge or cutting costs leave the homeowner with less of a job than expected. More times than enough the problem doesn’t show until months down the road-after the job is done and paid for. Usually in these cases you can’t find the people involved-or they have a story like “That’s how you wanted it”.
Anytime you are doing exterior groundwork it pays to have someone who truly cares, and has a basic understanding of the potential problems you might run into. A dollar saved today might cost two down the road so “Caveat Emptor”.
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