Seamless Gutters Minneapolis MN | Minnesota Gutters & Downspouts
A house built in the 1970’s or earlier is likely to have only minimal water protection around the foundation. Construction techniques have improved over the years, so that today’s new homes are more resistant to water, but wet basements are still a big problem. As homes age, their waterproofing systems break down. Even well-designed systems can ultimately fail. Therefore, most houses eventually have wet basement problems.
Wet basement problems can range from mildly annoying to completely catastrophic, depending on the flow of water and how “finished” your basement is. Regardless of the severity, the problem will only get worse: a wet basement is something that you should address promptly.
The damage done. Dampness and musty house odors are the beginning. Mildew can quickly damage furnishings. Everything from steel to cotton decays quickly in a damp environment. Bumper crops of mold and mildew may aggravate the health of someone with respiratory problems. Termites and other pests thrive in the moist dark spaces of a damp basement.
The most popular response to a wet basement or dampness is to ignore the problem and hope it will go away. Often people dismiss their problem as being the result of one super-duper rain storm. Unfortunately, we get those several times a year! It seems easier to think of the rainstorm as being a once-in-a-lifetime phenomenon than it is to face the fact that the basement has problems.
Ignoring the problem for a short period won’t be too calamitous if your basement is unfinished and you have stored items up off the floor. On the other hand, when you sell your home, you will have to deal with the wet basement: why not deal with it now and regain the full use of your basement for your remaining years in the house?
The best approach to correcting water seepage, moisture issues and in certain cases, preventing the need for foundation repair is to remove or control the source of the problem. The lack of proper drainage causes pooling water around your basement which leads to hydrostatic pressure on the walls. Hydrostatic pressure can result in foundation damage, allowing foundation walls to crack, deflect inward, settle vertically, and allow water infiltration into the basement or crawl space of your home. Common examples of basement seepage issues are foundation cracks, slab floor cracks, tie rods leaks, and pipe penetrations.
A great number of foundation repair and basement waterproofing problems can be controlled by handling rainwater and surface drainage properly to redirect the water away from the foundation. In fact, 75% of foundation space moisture issues can be attributed to poor roof drainage.
The most basic solutions to relieving groundwater pressure include redirecting surface water away from the structure.
Maintaining Gutters and Downspouts
Maintaining your existing gutter and downspout system is an important step in groundwater control. Clogged gutters will overflow causing rainwater and roof runoff to free fall one or two stories to the ground surrounding the foundation. Water leaking into the ground near the foundation of your home is undesirable, as it is likely to erode the soil and backfill and create excessive hydrostatic pressure. Additionally the water seeping into the soil can lead to settlement of the foundation caused by variations to the soil moisture content.
The most common recommendation for gutter maintenance is to have the gutters cleared of debris (leafs, twigs, pine needles, ect.) three to four times each year, with the change of seasons. After the gutters are clear, check to make sure that downspout extensions divert roof runoff at least 5 ft. beyond the foundation and that the water discharged pitches away from, not toward the house.
Roofs collect a massive amount of water; in fact the average 2,045 square foot roof will collect 1,275 gallons of water in a one inch rain. Extending downspouts away from your home is essential to preventing future foundation damage and keeping your basement or crawl space dry. Directing water on a positive grade away from the foundation reduces the amount of water that can percolate downward through the soil adjacent to the foundation walls, where it can exert hydrostatic pressure.
Why Aren’t You Using A Seamless Gutter System?
Without proper channeling, water can wreak havoc on concrete surfaces around your home, create a wet basement and in general put your home at risk. Therefore it is essential that you have the best drainage system possible in order to protect your house, and the best drainage investment on the marker comes in the form of seamless gutters.
Homeowners who are serious about quality home maintenance choose a seamless gutter system.
If you have a gutter with the express purpose of forcing rainwater to flow through it, doesn’t it make sense to keep that gutter as clear as possible so as to allow proper flow of water? That is exactly what gutter covers do for your gutters: it protects your gutters from all the debris and dirt and tend to flood them when it rains.