Grading and Drainage

Good site drainage is an essential part of a functional home and a long lasting foundation system.  In areas with expansive soils, poor grading and drainage can result in severe movement of foundation systems and damage to the buildings bearing on the soil.  Unfortunately, some builders do not follow the recommendations of their soils engineers and civil engineers, leaving grading and drainage conditions that do not effectively remove rainwater, groundwater, and snowmelt away from the structure and off the site.

Poor grading and drainage may have many causes, and may cause many different types of problems, including:

• Soil settlement or heave
• Concrete flatwork (sidewalks, driveways, porches) movement, excessive cracking, and distress
• Asphalt pavement movement, excessive cracking, and distress
• Building foundation movement, resulting in distress on the interior:
  • Unlevel floors and countertops
  • Drywall cracking
  • Racking and jamming of doors and windows
• Water intrusion into buildings through door thresholds, basement window wells, or basement walls
• Mold, fungus, and rotted building materials
• Corrosion of metal construction materials such as foundation cables, anchor bolts, and structural steel framing members
• Damage to landscaping materials