Moving water is a very powerful force. If the soil around a house isn’t graded properly, the water run-off from the roof can crack the foundation. A Drainage Contractor in Hartford CT can prevent this along with many other hydrological problems. He will check that the gutters and down spouts collect the roof run-off properly and deposit it far enough from the house. This distance should usually be about two feet. The ground should slope away from the house, so that the water doesn’t flow back toward the foundation.
If these things have been done and the basement still gets wet when it rains, the Drainage Contractor in Hartford CT will probably install a French drain. This is a channel that has been filled will gravel and has a perforated pipe at the bottom. The gravel allows as much water as possible to flow down toward the pipe. The pipe then carries it away from the foundation. To ensure that gravity does its work properly, the bottom of the French drain should slope away from the house one inch for every eight feet. Most building codes require that all of the drainage stay on the property. Contractors usually divert the water to a swale or other low-lying area. They might even turn it into a water feature such as a koi pond.
In addition to requiring that home owners keep their drainage on their own property, most cities also require that landscaping and construction not affect any existing wetland areas. If the landscaping diverts water away from a wetlands area, then it may dry up. This could adversely affect vegetation and wildlife habitats. The drainage contractor also has to show that the new landscaping won’t add pollutants to the run-off. This includes fertilizers used to keep grass lush and green. The contractor can create a drainage system that collects the run off in a drainage pond and then treats it before it returns to the groundwater. He can landscape the drainage pond so that it looks like an attractive water feature. Visitors will never guess that it’s there to provide an environmental function as well.
