Rain, Rain, Go Away! Addressing Water Issues in Your Harrisonburg Home

With all the rain we’ve been having lately here in the Shenandoah Valley, many people are having troubles with water:  flooded basements, standing water on their property, retaining walls giving way, cracked walkways, and other problems.

Eugene Friesen of Design Concrete Builders in Harrisonburg says, “I think I’ve gotten pretty good at listening to what people would like and explaining to them what their problems are, in regards to why has this failed and why it has not.  Most of the time it has to do with water issues.”

Friesen described one example of how he addressed water issues with a client.  “Last year we fixed a person’s house and we did some other work for them."  He asked the client, “Do you ever get water in your basement?”

The client responded, “Why would you ask that?”

“Because your driveway is slanting toward your house.”  Friesen spotted the issue before the client even mentioned it!

The client said, “Yeah, we get water in there at least twice a year.”

Friesen told him, “If you’re ever thinking about fixing it, don’t spend money on your basement before you spend money on the outside, because first you need to be sure water is draining away from the house.

“So, we totally redid their driveway and back-filled around the house, so no more water could even get close to the house.  And, he hasn’t called me back yet so I’m sure that he hasn’t gotten any water in his basement.  What good does it do to waterproof if you’ve still got water around your basement?”

This example shows the benefit of a holistic approach to the client’s situation: if the client had created a finished basement without changing the layout of the driveway, he might have been in for a rude surprise as water continued to pour into the basement.   Luckily for the client, Friesen’s practiced eye spotted the potential for trouble and headed it off before it ever happened!

Outside the home, retaining walls may be necessary to deal with rain and runoff.  These can also shape the landscape, and create level lawns and garden beds on a sloped hillside.  A retaining wall must have outlets so that the water doesn’t build up behind the wall and cause it to crack.

Besides structural problems and leaks, rain can just plain make the ground slippery.  Decorative concrete sidewalks, walkways, patios, and poolside decks can have textured stamped designs to give traction to avoid slipping in the wet weather.  The anti-slip sealers used by Design Concrete Builders are an additional safety measure.

By addressing water issues on your property, you can enhance the value and safety of your home, and decrease costs and headaches over the long run.  Be sure your contractor has the experience to detect water issues proactively, and can help you resolve any problems – sometimes even before they arise.

This content made possible by Design Concrete Builders or Harrisonburg, VA.