This month’s edition of Alair Homes’ Edmonton ReKnow Experts on CTV Morning Live features tips about flood prevention for your home, and the importance of proper grading to avoid water issues.
Water and moisture can cause serious issues for your home; not to mention can cause serious expenses as well.
The best way to avoid problems is to be as preventive as possible by doing the following year-round activities around your home to reduce water around your foundation:
- Keep the slope of grade (soil around your foundation) at a 1 foot out, to 1 inch down ratio
- Keep your eaves troughs clear of obstructions to avoid overflow of water – your roof and eaves troughs are a catchall for water and to do their job effectively, you need to keep them as clear as possible
- Add screens to your eaves troughs to avoid buildup
- Ensure your downspouts kick out at least 4 feet from your foundation, away from your foundation
- In the winter, shovel snow away from the side of foundation to avoid excess water once that snow starts to thaw
- If altering your grade is not an option on your property due to close proximity with your neighbouring property, you can create an internal “swale” instead. This will direct rainwater to either the front or back of your house, depending on the location of city “catch basins”. It’s important to find out where the catch basins in your community are location prior to doing this work.
- Patch or repair any cracks with a continuous membrane material (example: Blueskin Waterproofing Membrane)
Remember…water around a foundation may cause cracking, frost heaving, mould issues, and a musty smell in the basement.
For a comprehensive overview, or to learn how to build your own grading measurement tool as used in the CTV segment, we recommend reviewing the City of Edmonton’s Homeowner’s Guide to Flood Prevention.