The Issues of Heavy Rain
As everyone around the North Central Texas area knows by now, we’ve been hit with a lot of rain this Fall. In fact, these rains have been so heavy that the water is running out of places to go. Here you can see the impact of too much rainfall on a residential yard. This water is seeping into the soil surrounding this home and causing tremendous upheaval (lifting of the soil).
What Happens When You Have Poor Drainage?
North Central Texas has been the victim of significant heavy rains this Fall. Unfortunately, anytime we go through periods of intense rains, this water needs a place to go. Residential & Commercial landscaping is supposed to have “grading” or “sloping” of the yard. This allows water a way to naturally drain away from the home towards drainage channels, such as: storm drains, creeks, streets, etc.
In our example above, our client did not have consistent grading around their home. Rather than escape towards channels of drainage, this rain water was stuck with no means to escape. You might think this is not an issue and the water will eventually soak into the surrounding soil. This is partially correct. Anytime we allow water to rest too long it can cause some serious foundation issues.
Because North Central Texas consists of combinations of clay soil, our soil is highly expansive with a large affinity for water. That means our soil likes water, and it shrinks and swells as moisture enters and leaves. In our example, this water was being absorbed by the surrounding clay soil. This causes serious foundation issues and will cause this home to lift (during periods of rain & swelling) & settle (after the moisture is gone and soil shrinks). Our objective at Advocate Foundation is to eliminate this moisture and prevent problems from upheaval & settling.
The Water Needs a Place to Go
Like all yards, anytime we experience periods of heavy rains, water needs a place to go. There are various ways to tackle the issue of drainage, and Advocate Foundation is capable of assisting with all of them. Of all drainage techniques, some of the most efficient ways to properly drain your landscaping include:
- Grading (sloping of the yard)
- Drainage pipes (deck drains, gutter drains, french drains)
- Trench beds of pea gravel and install french drains
Our mission at Advocate Foundation is to first off: diagnose the reason for the drainage issues. This involves identifying why water is piling up in your yard. What areas around the home are not draining properly? Secondly, how close to the home is the water buildup? Is this water buildup causing immediate structural issues in and around your home?
In addition, Advocate Foundation will determine the budget of our client and prioritize an action plan to meet their needs. Does the home need to be lifted with hydraulic lifts, piers, shims and concrete caps? Do we need to utilize our polyurethane foam injection to fill the voids the beneath the home? Or if, the home is structurally sound, are we going to adjust the drainage around the home and prevent future issues?
Creating a Unique Game Plan for our Clients
Because every home is different, it’s important to call the Advocate Foundation experts. We can put together a personalized plan to tackle problems from drainage around your home. For our present client, we thought a little outside the box to remove their current issue: water building up in and around the home.
In our YouTube videos (below), you can see our team members penetrating the brick wall inside our customer’s basement. Because basements are located below ground level, there is significant moisture that can build up behind these walls.
Once we punctured the brick wall (where most moisture was present) you can see water seeping through to the floor. This technique created a temporary relief point for the hydro-static pressure: buildup of pressure & moisture behind this brick wall. As the soil around the home absorbs the standing water the soil swells, placing undue stress against this brick wall. After we punctured the interior wall, our crews utilized a portable flex pipe to vacuum out both water & additional moisture.
Advocate Surgically Removes The Moisture
These videos are great testimonials showcasing how water can buildup around your home. Should this client not have contacted us, this soil would have continued to swell and shrink irregularly. This causes uneven stress against your foundation and can lead to cracking along the interior walls, uneven doors and fracturing.
Preventing Future Issues from Heavy Rains
At Advocate Foundation, our primary focus is helping our clients solve issues of foundation problems. Our teams are specially trained in identifying the cause for foundation problems and creating a customized plan to fix each Residential & Commercial property.
Using multiple repair techniques, our teams can fix issues deriving from both Settling (voids & shrinking) & Upheaval (lifting). We use only best practices for our clients and back up our Foundation Repair with our Advocate Promise. Lastly, we are locally based and understand how to operate with our clay soils in North Central Texas. Our locality around the region makes us the primary experts with our soil types and the best team to call to help your home! Give us a call today for a free in-home estimate! The best step you can take is your first step forward. We can help you with the rest!