Foundation Drainage, Decoded: Stop Water Problems Before They Crack Your Home
Good foundation drainage protects your structure, finishes, and air quality. When water piles up against the house, you get movement, cracks, musty crawlspaces, and sump pumps that never rest. Here’s a practical plan that hits your priorities—soil pulling away, concrete and foundation repair, and gutter services—so you fix causes, not just symptoms.
Fast diagnosis (outside → in)
Soil pulling away from the foundation in hot, dry spells? That’s often clay shrinking after over-saturation/over-drying cycles. The void invites runoff to dive straight down the wall when it finally rains.
Grade check: You want 6–8" of exposed foundation and at least 5% slope (≈6" drop over 10 ft) away from the house. Mulch piled high or planters touching siding = water against walls.
Downspouts: Extensions should discharge 6–10 ft from the foundation, farther on clay. Splash blocks are rarely enough.
Pavement & patios: Reverse slope or settled slabs steer water toward the house.
Inside tells: Hairline stair-step cracks in block, widening drywall cracks, musty smells, efflorescence lines, or a sump that runs long after storms.
Fix the water first (foundation’s best friend)
Gutter services
Clean 2×/year (more with overhanging trees).
Oversize or add valleys’ downspouts; use debris guards where helpful (not a cure-all).
Add solid extensions or buried tightline drains to daylight or a dry well—not into perforated pipe right at the footing.
Surface grading & hardscape
Re-grade top 6–8 ft around the home; compact lifts so the slope survives the first storm.
Re-set pavers/sidewalks to fall away from the house; add a saw-cut relief and drain if needed.
Create swales to intercept hill runoff before it reaches the foundation.
Subsurface drainage (as needed)
French drain (perforated pipe in gravel with fabric) upslope of the house to cut off groundwater.
Footing drain replacement/repair if originals are silted or missing.
Sump pump + check valve with dedicated circuit and battery backup for basements in high water tables.
Walls & waterproofing
Seal obvious penetrations; maintain parging.
For major projects, exterior membrane + drainage board + footing drains beats interior paint-on “waterproofing.”
Where concrete and foundation repair fits
Drainage addresses causes; structural work corrects damage:
Crack injection: Epoxy (structural) or polyurethane (leak-stopping) after drainage fixes.
Piering/underpinning: Helical or push piers to stabilize settled sections—common where cycles of swelling/shrinkage and poor drainage exist.
Slab lift/void fill: Polyurethane foam or cementitious grout to re-support sunken stoops/garage slabs that now tilt water toward the house.
Carbon fiber/steel bracing: For bowing walls—paired with exterior drainage relief.
Rule of thumb: Do drainage and grading first (or concurrently) so structural repairs stay fixed.
Maintenance plan (simple, high impact)
Gutter clean & downspout check: spring/fall
Walk the perimeter after heavy rain: look for ponding, washouts, and new gaps where soil is pulling away
Sump test quarterly; replace batteries per spec
Keep plants 2–3 ft from walls; drip lines, not spray heads, near foundation
Top up mulch/soil grade annually—preserve that 5% slope
Red flags (call pros promptly)
Suddenly widening cracks or doors that won’t latch
Continuous sump cycling days after storms
Interior water where gutters are broken or downspouts dump at the base
Large patio/driveway settlement toward the house
How to get apples-to-apples quotes
Ask for two coordinated bids when needed: one for drainage/grade/gutters, one for structural work.
Your RFQ (paste this): “Please provide itemized quotes for (1) drainage & grading and (2) structural repairs. Scope: re-grade 6–8 ft from foundation to 5% slope; clean/resize gutters, add downspouts, and route downspouts via solid pipe to daylight/dry well; install French drain where noted on plan; repair/replace footing drains if clogged; seal exterior penetrations. For structural: assess cracks, propose epoxy/poly injection as appropriate, and specify piering/brace needs. Include materials (pipe type, gravel, fabric, membrane), locations, depth/footage, permits, restoration, warranty terms, and schedule.”
Cost drivers (so quotes make sense)
Trenching length/depth; obstacles (roots, utilities, walkways)
Discharge method (daylight vs dry well) and soil type (clay = more labor)
Membrane/drain board on walls vs interior-only approaches
Number of piers or linear feet of crack repair
Access, landscaping restoration, and concrete/paver re-set
Three quick scenarios
Gutters + grade fix the leak: Clogged gutters dumped at the base; re-grade + 10-ft extensions stop seepage—no interior work needed.
Swale + French drain for hillside lot: Intercept runoff above the house; sump cycles drop from hourly to rare.
Drainage + underpinning: Long-term clay shrink/swell caused settlement. After exterior drains and re-grade, helical piers lock the corner in place; epoxy injection seals non-moving cracks.
Bottom line: Treat foundation health as a system. Start with gutters and grading, add drains where necessary, then perform targeted concrete and foundation repair. Keep an eye on soil pulling away as an early warning, and you’ll prevent water from ever becoming a structural problem.