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A Quick Quiz to Help Solve Your Drainage Problems

The main misperception we typically see about drainage is the source of the problem. Most people encountering a wet basement will assume the moisture is coming from underground when in fact the source is surface water collecting on their property from both hard and porous surfaces. Nine times out of ten, poor grading and drainage is the real culprit.

To determine if you have this problem, take this simple quiz:

• Does your sump pump run frequently or continuously?
• Does your lawn have wet, muddy spots or take a long time to dry out after it rains?
• Have you noticed any weird smells you can’t identify?
• Are your walls or floors damp?
• Do your gutters gush?
• Is your drywall discolored or moldy?
• Does your foundation have cracks that continue to widen?
• Do your basement walls have a white or gray crust or flake off in patches?
• Does your mulch, wood chips, or silt migrate where they don’t belong?
• Do you have problems keeping your lawn or plantings healthy?
• Is your concrete patio cracked or shifted?
• Have your paving stones popped up or settled?

Most people with drainage problems tend to waste time and money trying to address these symptoms above instead of the underlying drainage issue. These false solutions include:

• Costly basement waterproofing
• Installing a dehumidifier
• Extending downspouts
• Installing a sump pump
• Dumping top soil on wet spots
• Digging trenches or installing catch basins (which fill with water and breed mosquitos).

Many of these ineffective “solutions” simply move the problem around your yard—where it can cause additional or even worse complications. In addition, many townships are now enacting new storm water regulations about how you must capture and retain surface water on your property. This will affect installation of any driveway, addition, patio, walkway or other hard surface you’re considering now or in the future.

The truth is that water management and drainage is almost never a do-it-yourself type project. Without the knowledge, experience, and specialized tools required, you will likely end up spending a lot of money, time, and effort and still not fix the problem. The good news is that a knowledgeable landscaper can generally provide a real solution within two to three days (for the average half acre lot) for a LOT less than the cost of basement waterproofing.