A Good Underground Drainage System Prevents Property Damage

Floods make good news copy. Often spectacular and awesome, their destructive power is immediate and easily seen. There is, however, another form of less-visible water damage which may cause home deterioration. Without a well-designed and functional underground drainage system, water-related problems can exist even when rain amounts are normal.

As modern cities have evolved, so have their sewer systems. Designed to carry away the excess water that is a result of normal industry and living, sewers often carry this kind of waste water to recycling or purification areas. Some street runoff may reach these systems, but in general they are not designed to carry away the excess water that may collect in the yard or around the foundations of a home.

In some cases water that cascades from the roof of a home during a rainstorm may not run off, but will form miniature lakes in the yard, turning it into a wet mess. This standing liquid can damage a home's foundation, kill expensive landscape plants, and encourage indoor mold. In large amounts it can actually cause erosion when it finally does drain.

A good system of below-ground water disposal can solve this problem. Simple surface drains can carry away some of the excess, but for most homeowners underground water channeling is more important. Designing such a system means accounting for the layout and use of the property, the size of the ditches and the amount of piping that will be needed.

Newly constructed urban homes generally plan for these potential water issues. Off the urban grid, however, new homes will need to have a good outdoor water removal system designed and installed before construction may be considered complete. Safe and adequate water control requires more than simply routing the downspouts away from the foundation, and new systems may require a little fine-tuning to make sure all excess water is draining away correctly.

Technically speaking, this installation can become a do-it-yourself project for most yards and homeowners. Included in this effort would be digging trenches laterally from the side of a home, and sloping them gradually downward. The pipes in these ditches would connect downspouts, water collection drains and channel drains. Once installed, their efficiency should become immediately evident, and standing water should rapidly disappear.

For homes that already have a working system, maintenance is the key. A dirty or clogged pipe will not be noticeable during dry weather, but will become a real problem once the rain begins. Simple care requires a few basic tools, including a power washer and a plumber's snake. Clogged drains may be opened and the obstructions removed, but the most important part is keeping the roof free of built-up debris and dirt. Regular removal of roof detritus will keep the things running smoothly once installed.

Construction advice for the do-it-yourself homeowner is widely available on the building and plumbing supply house websites. For more detailed instruction, try calling or chatting with experts at the store. This will help you to determine exactly which tools and materials are necessary, and to estimate how much they cost. This kind of installation requires effort, but once it is in place an underground drainage system will not only preserve your home's value, but will prevent water-related problems before they happen.