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.
No comments
Post a comment