If your outdoor drainage isn’t up to scratch, it can cause flooding, damage to plants and even structural problems to your property. So, what signs can you look for this lockdown that might indicate problems with your drains? Outside, you might notice things like dead plants or mosquitoes breeding in standing water. Or if you have a basement, water may be collecting there. If you see these issues in your home, there are many things you can do to remedy the problem. On other occasions, you must call an expert drainage contractor to fix the issue.
5 of the Most Common Drainage Problems You Might Experience During Lockdown
During the lockdown, all parts of the home must be adequately maintained. Blocked drains are a particular issue, as mentioned by London property maintenance company Aspect.co.uk. Here are some of the most common problems you might encounter, and how, in some cases, you might be able to fix the problem yourself.
Poorly Installed Downspouts or Gutters
If your downpipes or guttering aren’t installed correctly, water has the potential to gather into your foundations and cause bad structural problems or damage to your landscaping. Sometimes, the problem can be fixed by yourself. Either through cleaning your gutters or pointing your downspouts away from your home. If you’re afraid of heights and don’t want to clean your gutters yourself, hire a tradesperson who will offer this service for an affordable fee.
Poor Grading
Sometimes, landscapers, homeowners or builders don’t get their grading correct when completing outdoor projects. This can result in water to pool or redirect into a house or basement. If you’re suffering from this issue, you’ll likely need a new drainage plan. This in itself can involve either installing new surface or subsurface drains to collect the water or re-divert the water in the correct direction.
Neighbour Runoff
If you live at the bottom of a hill, water can divert from the top to your property and cause erosion. To confirm this, witness how water runs onto your property during a rainstorm. If this becomes a problem, there are a couple of professional solutions you might want to consider. A berm or swale can be built to effectively re-route the water to a well or basin. Or, you might want to grade broad surfaces.
Landscaping
It’s possible that landscaping can contribute to flooding, so make sure your yard is sloping towards drainage rather than your house itself. Having too much topsoil can also cause flooding or divert water to the direction of your home, generating too much runoff. If you have planted beds, make sure they’re sloping back towards your house.
Roots in Drain Pipes
If you notice that your drains are backing up when it’s raining, this could be due to root invasion which has blocked the pipe or broken fitting on it. Perforated pipes near trees or grass suffer particularly badly from this problem. Ask a pro to take a look and clean your pipes if necessary, then wrap them in a fabric filter to keep the roots out.