The foundation of a home is extremely important. After all, it is what the entire house is built on. A foundation that is in poor repair can collapse and bring the house down with it. This is something that no one ever wants to have happen.
Foundations take a beating over the years from water which collects in the soil around a house. After a time, the water seeps into the walls of the foundation. The wet foundation walls expand and contract with the changes of the seasons and eventually cracks and gaps form in the walls. This can result in water getting into the basement or crawlspace of the house. If the problems with the foundation are not taken care of the issues will get worse causing water to collect in the basement or crawlspace and mold and mildew will grow creating possible health hazards. All the while the damage to the foundation walls continues to worsen, weakening the strength of the walls.
It is important that there is a working drainage system around the house to help prevent water from building up around the foundation. Keeping water away from the walls of the foundation lessens the damage caused when the walls are wet. The gutters of a home are part of the drainage system. They should be kept free of debris and the downspouts should have extensions which drain the water running through them several feet from the house. The soil around the house should slope down and away from the house so that water will not collect around the foundation.
If the gutters and the slope of the soil away from the house are not enough to keep the walls of the foundation dry it might be necessary to install a drainage trench. This will direct water away from the foundation under the ground. It can be a bit of an expense to have a trench dug and the drain pipe installed but if the water damage problem is severe enough the expense will be worth it.
Once the cause of the water damage has been taken care of it is important to repair the damaged foundation. Most of the products used to fix gaps and cracks in the foundation are just applied to the inside walls of the basement or crawl space. When they harden they are fixed and as the foundation walls expand and contract the fixative will eventually give way again. It is a good idea to look for a fixative that can be applied into the cracks and gaps moving through to the outside of the walls so it completely fills in the gaps. The product should also be made of a substance that doesn't dry into hard cement. Install a fixative that remains somewhat flexible. This will last much longer as it can give and take as the walls expand and contract without breaking apart.
If water still comes up from the ground of the floor of a crawl space buy and install a sump pump so that any water that collects can be pumped out right away. This will keep the space dry so there will not be any mold growth.
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