How to Prevent Water Damage To Your Home

February 3, 2024

Keep water away from your basement

The Midwest is known for its expansive clay soil, which can mimic play dough. The soil is known for it's shrinking and expanding capabilities, which can wreck havoc on your home's foundation. Clay soil in the Kansas City, Missouri and Kansas, areas will shrink when it dries out from the hot summers (droughts) and swells when it’s wet (from the wet months around KC). If you're familiar with the weather in the Midwest, you know the fluctuation can be extreme. From 100+ degree days in August to -20 degree days in January, your home's soil holds the brunt of the damage.

However with thousands and thousands of Kansas City homes built on this type of soil each year, it's important to have a waterproofing and foundation company that understand the soil conditions. The team at PierMagic Foundation Specialists understand the important of managing water away from your home. In fact, this is critical to have a company that specializes in clay soil or the resolution will not be permanent. So, homeowners may ask... just how do you prevent water from destroying your home? PierMagic put together 3 tips on how to prevent water damage to your home.

Tip #1: Clean Your Home’s Gutters

As a homeowner, you have 1,000 "to-do's" on your list at all times. Somehow ensure your home's gutters are on the list. Why is that important? During a big rain, a residential roof can potentially withstand 2,000 gallons of water. If you think about that, that's a LOT of water in a small area, weighing down the roof of your home. Not only is it important to have gutters, but it's critical to ensure the gutters are clean and taper outward to a downspout. The main goal of the gutters is to have the water flow from the rooftop to the base of the house, directed away from the home's foundation. By directing water to a specific area, you minimize the opportunities for it to gather in unwanted places and cause foundation problems. PierMagic recommends adding additional downspouts that are adjacent to roof valleys.

CASE STUDY: Basement Waterproofing and Foundation Cracks

Tip #2: Examine the Patio, Porch, Sidewalk, and Driveway

Take a look at the angling of your home’s concrete patio, porch, sidewalk and driveway. Oftentimes they are tilted toward the house, which can cause numerous foundation and water problems. “This situation,” according to structural engineer Don Carter, “can shed 5,000 gallons of water against walls a heavy rain.” What is the solution to reverse this tilt? Polyjacking. This will help the water flow away from the home. PierMagic's sister company, PolyMagic, offers polyjacking, which is more effective than the traditional mudjacking process.

Learn more about polyjacking: What is polyjacking?

Tip #3: Inspect Your Home's Land and Landscape

When it comes to protecting your home from foundation problems, it will pay off to take the doings of Mother Nature into your own hands. How can you win a battle with Mother Nature? You can't always, but you can help your situation. When properties surrounding your home are on higher ground compared to your home, more times than not the rain runoff will end up in your yard. PierMagic Foundation Specialists suggests to many Kansas City residents, they should create a ditch to intercept flow and channel it around the house.

The above three tips to prevent water from destroying your home should put you on the right track to a dry basement. If your home is in need of polyjacking, waterproofing, drainage solutions, or foundation repair, give PierMagic a call today. We are here to help you with the most comprehensive solution at an affordable price.