Rain, Rain, Go Away: Is Your Drainage Doing Its Job?
We’ve seen plenty of wet weather in New Hampshire lately. I’ve been getting a lot of calls from worried homeowners seeing puddles in their basements for the first time. The good news? Often, the "moisture intrusion" people fear isn't a foundation failure at all—it’s just a simple drainage issue!
Think of your gutters and downspouts as your home’s personal umbrella. If your downspouts are dropping water right at the base of your foundation, that water has nowhere to go but in. I often see "negative grading" where the soil has settled over the years and now slopes toward the house instead of away from it. This acts like a giant funnel, sending every gallon of NH rain straight into your basement walls.
A quick neighborly tip: Take a walk around your house during the next heavy rain. If you see water pooling near the walls, or if your downspouts don't extend at least 4 to 6 feet away from the house, that’s your first project for the weekend. It’s a low-cost fix that prevents high-cost headaches. If you aren't sure where the water is going, I can use thermal imaging to trace the moisture path behind your finished walls before it turns into a major leak.
Is water invading your space? Stop the leaks before they start. If you’re seeing damp spots after a storm, let’s find the source together.
