There are many things around the house that require regular cleaning or maintenance to uphold your property’s value. One thing that homeowners often overlook is their drainage system. Without a proper drainage system, over time you’ll start to notice different areas of your home changing, and this could eventually lead to very costly repairs. Read on to learn the top 5 signs that your backyard drainage system needs help.
Gutter Health
The first and most obvious thing you should check regularly to ensure proper backyard drainage is the gutter system on your home. Whether it’s a windy day or a harsh storm, your drains are likely to experience build up from debris blowing around. Usually you’ll just find leaves in the gutter, but regardless of what ends up there you’ll want to give the gutters a good cleaning on a quarterly basis.
Neglecting the gutters on your home could not only lead to serious drainage issues in your yard, but it could also lead to foundation damage. The water and debris that collects in the gutters will overflow and drip down the walls of your home into the soil. With enough water pressure, that soil will soften and cause foundation cracking.
Cleaning your gutters is a super simple process! If you notice a lot of leaf buildup, just put on gloves, grab a yard trash bag and scoop the leaves out. Once the gutters are clear of larger debris, use a hose to rinse them out and clean up any remaining dirt.
Mosquito Infestation
If you notice mosquito presence more than normal, this could also be a sign of drainage issues in your yard. These pesky insects love nothing more than standing water, so that’s the first thing you’ll want to look for.
If you have a pool, make sure to keep it clean & chlorinated to help keep mosquitoes out. You’ll also want to examine your gutters as we noted above. Keep an eye out for puddles in your yard (see below for more information on water buildup), and make sure you don’t have any large tools or items exposed that are able to collect water.
Plant Life
Whether you have a green thumb or not, it’s usually pretty easy to tell if the plants, bushes, and trees around your yard are in bad shape. If you see drooping limbs, or brown, dead leaves it’s likely a sign that the soil in your yard is retaining too much water.
When the soil around all of your plants holds water for too long it can cause root rot which is not good for your foliage. You’ll want to call a professional to inspect the drainage issues in your yard.
Water Buildup
Water buildup around your yard is the ultimate sign that you have drainage issues. This is something you’ll always want to take notice of once a storm passes. Pay attention not only to the grass in your yard, but also to the sidewalks around your home and your driveway. Any sort of puddling should be inspected further so you can determine the source of the drainage issues.
Structural Damage
Unfortunately, if you notice structural damage on the outside (or inside) of your home, the drainage issues have escalated to needing more than a gutter cleaning and it’s likely that foundation repair is necessary at this point. When structural damage occurs you’ll notice things like small cracks on the walls and floors, and you might even see mold build up on the walls. These are serious foundation issues that you’ll definitely want to have inspected in a timely manner.
Call a Professional
If you want to have complete peace of mind and know that drainage issues are not a concern, we recommend calling a professional team to come and inspect your property entirely. They can look at your entire yard, as well as the inside and outside of your home. You’ll receive a complete breakdown of what needs to be completed to ensure you don’t have further drainage issues in your yard. If you live in western PA, give the A.M. team a call today! We can schedule your free inspection and quoteContact Us, and we would love to gain your business.
