Residential Exterior Drainage Repair
Northwest Crawl Space Services specializes in residential exterior drainage repair and sump pump installation services.
Even though exterior drainage isn’t considered a crawl space service, it will most definitely impact your crawl space. An exterior drainage failure or deficiency can cause water to seep under or through the house’s foundation and can result in standing water or even flooding in the crawl space.
What are some reasons your home's exterior drainage may be having problems?
Digging trenches to prepare for drain pipe install
Topography: The topographic shape of a property affects the flow path of water in it. Slopes, high points, hills and valleys all determine the water distribution and concentration around your house. For example, a steep slope will reduce the amount of infiltration of water into the ground and lead to a flood in the lower ground it channels to. Unless the topography of a property naturally prevents floods and overly saturated soil, a drainage system, such as a French drain, is very necessary.
Age of Your System: Almost all houses in the Pacific Northwest have exterior drainage systems. Drain pipes tend to get clogged over the years unless they’re maintained properly and constantly. Also, the roots of trees and other plants spread with time and can grow into drain pipes, puncturing them or pushing them out of their route and causing drainage failure.
Faulty Installation: Failure to install exterior drainage pipe correctly can lead to major issues, including flooded crawl spaces. For example, misplacing the drain pipe and creating negative elevation can lead to a back-flow of water into the emergency/gravity drain and flood the crawl space. Over the years our company has had to deal with many emergency discharge drains that have taken water into the crawl space instead of channeling it out.
Lack of City Infrastructure: In certain neighborhoods, proper storm drains were never installed in the streets by the city. Unless the topography of the land allows for free-flowing drainage, there’s no way for rain water to drain away and residents live with constant drainage issues such as flooding and saturated ground.
Exterior Drainage Services We Provide
French Drain: French drains are essentially perforated and filtered buried pipes that use gravity to carry water in the soil away from the problem area. The water is routed downhill to a safely drained area such as the street, a storm drain, catch basin or any slope that can channel the water into an area that can be used as an acceptable drain field.
Foundation Drain: Foundation drains are basically a network of French drains installed under your foundation or basement floor. These drains collect water and move it off-site to prevent your basement or crawl space from filling up with water. Over the years, these systems tends to fail and get overwhelmed easily, resulting in water penetration into your crawl space or basement. Here at Northwest Crawl Space Services, we will replace your old foundation drainage system with a brand-new system, if required, that will keep your basement/crawl space dry.
Gutter Downspout Drains: Every house with a gutter and downspout system must have a downspout drainage system to channel the water safely away. If you live in an older house that has never had a proper system installed, we’re here to help. Northwest Crawl Space Services we will provide you with a free quote to install a professional drain system, complete with a maintenance plan and 10-year warranty. If your house has a downspout drainage system but you suspect that it’s not functioning well, we can provide drain pipe inspection, repairs and preventive care.
Catch Basin and Sump Pumps: Some properties are in areas where the topography doesn’t allow free-flow drains. This is usually because the property is situated lower than its surroundings. If you’re facing this issue at your house, contact us here at Northwest Crawl Space Services. We can channel your drainage system into a catch basin that can collect water from French drains, foundation drains, downspout drains or even your driveway drain, then use a sump pump to channel the water against gravity to any acceptable drainage point.