Clogged and leaky gutters can damage your house in several ways. If water doesn’t drain properly from the roof, it will eventually infiltrate inside the attic. And if it is not properly diverted away from your house, it can damage the foundation.
How Water Accumulation Damages the Foundation of a House
If the gutter is clogged, it may leak water right next to your house. No big deal, you’d say. But consider all the rains and the melting rain you had in just one year. That’s a lot of water. And when it accumulates around the foundation, it causes damage in more than one way:
- Land Erosion
In time, water can erode the land around the house foundation. Simply put, the soil washes away. In this case, you will note the basement walls bowing or angling. Also, you may note doors and windows jutting out.
- Foundation Sinking and Settling
When you built your house, you looked for a solid plot of land, not a mud hole, because it would not really hold the weight of the building and keep it upright. A leaking gutter, in time, will create this mud hole. And you will note that your basement floor becomes cracked and the walls are uneven and titled to one side. This is the effect of foundation settling and sinking.
- Basement Flooding
When the damage becomes severe, you will note water accumulating into your basement directly from the soil. In this worst case scenario, you need major repair works to the foundation of your house. It's best to seek the help of Wichita general contractors to remedy the issues before they cause major damage.
First Seen right here: Leaking Gutters Can Cause Foundation Damage
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