Homeowners: 3 Reasons Why It's Important To Handle Water Runoff Properly

As a homeowner, it is important to think about things like gutters, downspouts and other ways to handle water runoff from your home. Even though it might not be a very fun part of home ownership, water runoff can actually cause a lot of problems. These are a few issues that you might face if you don't ensure that the water is adequately carried away from your home.

1. Foundation Damage

Keeping the foundation of your home in good shape is critical. Unfortunately, excessive water pooling around the outside perimeter of your home can affect your foundation. This is because excessive saturation of the soil around your home can cause the soil to contract and expand, which can then cause cracks and other problems with the foundation of your home. Since foundation damage can cause additional damage to the inside of the house -- such as causing doors to stick and walls and chimneys to crack -- and since foundation repair can be expensive, it is best to prevent foundation damage whenever possible.

2. Oversaturation of Plants

If you have plants on your property, you probably love the curb appeal that they add to your home. You might not think that water runoff is bad for them, since plants obviously need water to live and grow, but the oversaturation that can be caused by uncontrolled water runoff can actually be detrimental to your flowers, shrubs and other plants. When water runoff runs off of your home and around your plants, it often pools on top of the already-wet ground. This can effectively "drown" your plants. Directing the water runoff with gutters and downspouts can allow you to control the amount of water that your plants get.

3. Flooding

Flooding is obviously a major concern in areas where there is excessive rain, particularly if you live in an area that is below sea level. Water running off of your home and pooling up around your house can increase your chances of dealing with flooding, while ensuring that the rainwater is directed away from the house can help reduce the amount of water that stands outside of your home during heavy periods of rain.

As you can see, handling water runoff properly is critical if you are a homeowner. If you do not currently have gutters and downspouts in place, or if you fear that your existing system isn't working properly, consider working with a professional so that you can handle the excessive water in the most effective way possible. To learn more, contact a company like Crest Engineering Associates