Bucktown Water Damage From Roof to Foundation

2/10/2016 (Permalink)

SERVPRO Suggests a Sump Pump Installation in Your Bucktown Home Basement

SERVPRO Can Restore Your Water Damaged Home in Bucktown

Water damage in Bucktown can be caused by the fickleness of Nature. Water may be a vital part of life, but it can also be destructive. For homeowners, too much water can cause significant problems. In wet weather, all of that excess liquid has to end up somewhere and, very often, that somewhere is around the foundations of your building. SERVPRO points out the following guidance to help prevent the unwanted effects of water damage to your property.

The Consequences of Bad Drainage

If your property does not have a robust drainage system, there could be consequences during wet weather. If you do not take action and successfully reroute runoff away from your home, you are at risk for severe water damage. Foundation weakness occurs when an inadequate drainage system cannot prevent water from accumulating around the foundation of the structure. Dry soil close to the surface enables water to percolate deep underground. The soil expands when the water interacts with it, and this can end up shifting the structure above. This kind of water damage is responsible for cracks in the concrete and loss of perpendicular structural stability.

Foundation collapse is the most serious effect of the conditions described above. While such incidents are rare, the cost of shoring up the base to limit upper level damages is expensive. Crawlspace foundations are easier to remedy by re-enforcing existing perimeter supports and floor joists. Still, expensive and inconvenient. Why not prevent this foundation erosion by eliminating the causes?

Persistent dampness is a less urgent, but no less negative result of poor drainage. Cracks in the foundation let moisture infiltrate the concrete. This moisture buildup in a basement area, probably already lacking in proper ventilation and heat, can lead to water damaged walls, powdering plaster, and peeling paint. Tack on to this conducive conditions for mold growth and remediation becomes more urgent than initially thought.

Tips for Successfully Rerouting Runoff
Clearly, these are serious issues which can threaten the structural integrity of a home. They need to be addressed as soon as they appear, preferably with the help of a reliable company like SERVPRO. These tips will help you reroute runoff water away from your home, but you will need to call in the experts if there is already extensive water damage.

Install Rain Gutters and Keep Them Clean: just one-half inch of water running off 1,000 square feet of roofing represents around 310 gallons, so it is imperative that all of this moisture is directedly away from the foundation. The downspouts should be unclogged and angled away from the house. Use leaf guards if necessary to maintain a gravitational flow of water from the gutters. In the winter be aware of ice dams that restrict melting ice or snow from being dispatched to the downspouts. If this is an issue, consider adding insulation inside the attic. This will reduce heat convecting through the roof sheathing which will liquefy snow leading to icing. Also, be alert to possible frozen pipes.

Finding Reliable Water Restoration Services
If water damage in Bucktown still occurs, the IICRC-certified technicians from SERVPRO can respond quickly, assess the problems, remove the water, and dry out and restore your home "Like it never even happened."

Highly-Trained Water Restoration Specialists

SERVPRO of West Loop / Bucktown / Greektown has vast expertise, experience, and training that enables us to quickly return your Bucktown property to preloss condition. Call us 24/7 for help. (773) 434-9100