Gutters and downspouts are a foundation’s first line of defense against water pooling at the foundation. Properly cleaned and directed away from the building, the guttering moves storm water collected on the roof away from the house. Similarly, the finished grade sloping down and away from the foundation and plantings held at least 12”- 24” from it encourage rainwater to move out and away from the foundation.
Further assurance that water will not damage a foundation or the structure’s contents is provided by installing drain tile at the base of the footing and under the sub-grade slab. Drain tile is 4” perforated pipe laid in a trench that is protected with filter cloth, and back-filled with crushed stone. The pipes collect ground water and channel it to a central collection point, called a sump crock, which is equipped with a submersible pump controlled by a float.