The Importance Of A Proper Drainage System

Drainage in buildings is vital; whether the building in question is of the simplest design or the most complex, innovative, architectural masterpiece. Water used within the building needs to be directed out and away and water which may make contact with the exterior of the building needs to be contained, managed and also directed away.

Another important point to remember in terms of drainage in buildings is that of the foundation. The foundation of any building needs to be strong and environment-proof.

These are the basic fundamentals of drainage within all buildings and without properly designed and well-maintained drainage, serious problems can develop very quickly.

Problems most commonly occur when older, or poorly designed buildings do not have a solidly designed drainage system and this is a common problem when the drainage outside a building is not well maintained.

Damage then comes from standing water around the base of a property, or from regularly leaking gutters and drainpipes.

Constant contact with moisture erodes the fabric and the foundations of a property and leads to not only crumbling facades but also rodents and insects.

Foundations and drainage

It is also important to note that even with the best and most carefully maintained gutters, roofs and drainpipes, a building without strong foundations is at grave risk when it comes to serious damage caused by moisture. All buildings sit on top of foundations. It might be a concrete foundation or something more environmentally friendly and effective such as Helical Piles.

If the soil which surrounds a building becomes too moist or too dry, then it changes. Some areas, those with very changeable weather patterns, have real problems with this as the changes occur very frequently and the soil becomes even more unstable. Changes in soil such as expansion, shrinkage or shifting can easily cause the foundations of a building to move.

Foundations which move are the worst sort of foundations because they provide no security, no solidity and no protection. When foundations move, cracks can appear in walls both externally and internally and then moisture is able to enter into the very fabric of a building and once this happens, it’s very difficult and expensive to rectify.

Helical Piles are extremely effective thanks to their ingenious design. They are comprised of steel shafts which are constructed with circular steel helical plates welded into place at strategic positions along the shaft.

These plates give any foundation both tension and compression-bearing capacity. They’re suitable for a very wide range of applications in building and they’re superior to concrete foundations due to their resistance to shifting and the effects of moisture or dryness in soil.

In addition to ensuring the foundations of a building are strong, it is also advisable to take preventative measures such as avoiding planting trees too close to a property and ensuring that your visible drainage systems are well-maintained and clean with the turn of each season.