When the rain comes down in buckets, it can be fun to watch. The sound is sometimes captivating and, of course, water is the basis of life, so a good rain will bring much needed nutrition to your plants, lawn, trees and garden.
But, too much rain will can also bring destruction to your yard, and perhaps surprisingly, your basement.
Why Too Much Water is a Bad Thing
Obviously, flooding is always bad. Any news coverage, video or pictures, will show the horrors and path of destruction that flooding brings.
But, even when it doesn’t go to the flooding stage, too much water is tough on your yard. Minor floods happen all the time,. They can often take place in the ground around your home, where you would never notice that it is happening.
Excess rain throws more water at your yard than it can handle. The ground can not absorb it, leading to a wet, soggy mess.
But, it isn’t just a problem for your lawn.
Ground Expansion
When most soil becomes water logged, it will cause an expansion. Dirt with poor drainage, like gravel and clay, is often used around homes because it is cheap to fill in when a basement or crawl space is dug for the house.
When there is too much rain, the soil holds onto that water and causes swelling.
This ground swell puts pressure on the walls of your basement and crawl space. Over time, the pressure mounts and the walls, even if they are made of brick, stone, or concrete, will give out. This leads to small cracks in the outer wall.
Cracks Lead to Flooding
Those small cracks push water inside of your basement (and foundation or crawl space) walls. Once water is inside, it works to weaken the walls and eats away at them. Water will start to trickle inside of your basement now. Over a short period of time, that trickle becomes a flood.
Even if you simply feel dampness you can be sure that you have a water problem and it will cause foundation problems and basement flooding soon.
How to Fix the Problem in Your Yard and Basement
Better drainage is the key to preventing yard and basement flooding. Yard drains, drains in your driveway or near your foundation are key.
If you are already experiencing flooding then basement waterproofing may be necessary to keep your home dry and your foundation from cracking.