Standing water can cause a wide variety of problems, none more damaging or costly than the problems it can cause with a home’s foundation. It also depends on what type of water is standing around the foundation. Rain water collecting and pooling up around the foundation of a home can, believe it or not, enter concrete. Concrete foundations are porous, and water fills in any pores it can find. Over time, the water can seep into the concrete foundation and ultimately break down the concrete. This break down will cause the foundation to crack, which will in turn cause foundations to shift and the home to become unsettled. Cracks in the ceiling or wall in the inside of the home can be a symptom of a foundation affected by standing water.
In the winter, standing water can do the same thing regarding seepage into the concrete. However, cold weather creates a different problem. The water will seep into the concrete, freeze, and then expand and push the concrete outward rather than breaking it down. This will cause the foundation of the home to swell and push everything in the home up and cause seams in the walls and ceiling.
Rain water is one type of water that can be found around the foundation of a home. However, if water is standing near a foundation and rain water is not suspected, there may be an issue with a broken water line beneath the home. This will create even bigger issues.
Aside from the effect standing water can have on concrete or cement foundations, this standing water around the exterior of the home can also soften the soil beneath the foundation and cause the entire home to sink. Of course, this sinking issue is a gradual one, but over time can cause a great number of problems over time. Pipes can break from the pressure of a changing landscape, and the value of the home can decrease exponentially if any sort of water damage is noticed on the foundation.
The dangers of water standing or pooling up around the foundation of a home may not be easy to spot, and they may be gradual issues. But over time, standing water can greatly damage and devalue a home. Functional gutters and water channeling systems are the most effective way to keep water from standing around a home’s foundation.
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