Fix Your Drainage!

The best way to prevent major water damage costs for your home: Fix your drainage! 

Improper drainage leads to gradual foundation damage.  You can go for years and barely notice a problem.  Then you reach a tipping point, and foundation damage can be a costly nightmare.

Foundation drainage problems can result from too much moisture.  Standing water around your home, large amounts of water dumped by gutter downspouts, or a negative slope of the area around your home can cause saturated soil, which seeps into, and eventually erodes, your foundation.

Do you see excessive puddling or ponding around your home after a heavy rain?  Do your basement walls dribble water?  Do you have small yet slowly growing cracks in your basement walls?  All of the above questions are warning signs of foundation issues.

Celebrate. Honor. Remember.

On Memorial Day we can celebrate our freedom and remember those who have served, so bravely and selflessly, our wonderful country.

All we can say is we thank you.  We honor you.  We never forget your service and sacrifice.

Creating a Precision Pitch

Efficient use of a drain tile system is an excellent approach to supplement the benefits of proper grading.  A 4" drain tile backfilled with Limestone chips will absorb seepage under the center of a swale or other appropriate areas.  Considering these pipes may freeze in typical Wisconsin winter, they should be used as a secondary drainage solution.

By using precision tools, we ensure 100% accuracy during the design and implementation of an efficient drainage system.  Integrity Drainage Solutions are drainage experts who get it right the first time!

Spring Thaw...Choose to Enjoy It or Dread It.

Winter in Wisconsin brings a lot of snow.  In early March, when the thaw begins, the sound of water draining from the gutters is a welcome sound of Spring for some homeowners.  For others it is followed by the dreaded sound of a sump pump running...and running...and running.  If the sump pump cannot keep up, water backup can occur.  Often this is mistakenly diagnosed as an interior water issue.  However, it is also likely to be an exterior drainage issue.  Integrity Drainage Solutions specializes in moving water away from your home's exterior foundation.  Ensuring a positive pitch away from the home's foundation is key.  This can be accomplished in many ways, from a swale to a drain tile system. 

Redirecting water away from your home and yard can turn the Spring thaw into an exciting experience in the anticipation of enjoying your yard all Summer long.

      

Drain Tiles

An efficient use of a drain tile system is an excellent approach to supplement the benefits of proper grading.  A 4" perforated drain tile backfilled with limestone chips will absorb seepage (underground water) under the center of the swale or other appropriate areas.  Considering these pipes may freeze in a typical Wisconsin winter, they should be used as a secondary drainage solution.

New Office, New Yard - Part 4

Our new sign is finished and our building is getting a new paint job.  It's a great look!  For the sign, we used Olde Quarry Stone with a Copthorne inlay.  This is a great representation of the style of work we do.  Once again, there is more to come.  Our yard is going to be a stunning showroom of all the types of projects we are capable of doing.  Stay tuned...

Moss in Your Grass?

Poor drainage and/or standing water in any yard can cause many issues, including possible damage to your home's foundation.  It is also a hotbed for mosquitoes, root rot and an inability to actually enjoy the yard.  One other issue it can cause is moss.  Moss is a symptom of lawn problems, not a cause of them.  If it is growing in a low-lying area where the soil stays wet, improving the drainage can discourage moss from growing.  

     

Fall - Special Offer

Summer is over, and autumn is typically rainy. Now is the perfect time to address your exterior drainage problems.

If you live in our geographic business area of Southeastern Wisconsin, mention you saw this blog post and we will offer you a free consultation plus $50.00 discount off any drainage project.

Proven Integrity Solutions:

• Precise Grading
•  Gradual & Efficient Swales
• Properly Designed Retaining Wall
• Drain Tile (a.k.a. French Drain)
• Catch Basins (or Yard Drains)
• Buried Downspout Extensions
• EPDM Membrane
• Erosion Control

Drain Tile Systems

The recent drier weather makes this an excellent time to deal with your exterior drainage issues. Changing your property's grade and installing improved drainage deliver superior results for years to come.

Installation of drainage tiles (also known as a French Drain) effectively supplements the benefits of proper grading. A 4” perforated drain tile back-filled with limestone chips will absorb seepage (underground water) under the center of a swale or other areas of potential water pooling.

The experienced and efficient workers for Integrity Drainage Solutions will excavate a footer (a trench about 6-8 inches deep), then lay a 4” diameter perforated pipe, after the drainage tile is installed. Next comes back-filling with limestone chips or washed gravel. Finally, they top it all off with displaced earth.

Only Part of the Solution:

Drainage tile systems are only about 6 inches beneath the ground. These pipes can freeze during a typical Wisconsin winter. The system should be augmenting your solution, not be considered the primary solution.

#AtoZ Challenge – G is for Grading

Did you know that you may solve potential foundation issues with grading, or changing the pitch of the land near your home? Usually an improperly pitched property provides a direct path for water to move toward a home. This can cause flooding or wet walls, often leading to mold inside the home.

By adjusting the grade to a negative pitch, Integrity Drainage Solutions can redirect water away from your home and off the property. Installing a yard drain or "French Drain" (a.k.a. drain tile) will add to the benefits of property grading.

Surface runoff is the most common drainage problem faced by most homeowners. Adjusting the grade is often the most efficient and cost-effective solution.

The systems used by Integrity Drainage Solutions simply help move water away from your home or area of concern using a precise and technical approach. Most homes do not need extensive waterproofing or foundation repair that inexperience or unethical contractors often suggest.
Call 1-866-4-NoWater (866-466-9283) for a free consultation.

Simple Drainage Solutions for Your Home

Drainage problems may be seasonal or develop over time.  Surface runoff is one of the most common drainage problems. The effects of water damage due to drainage issues can be devastating, but in most cases they are preventable. You can follow some basic steps to prevent the most common types of water damage.

Water damage from drainage problem

Potential Effects of Water Damage:

·      Toxic Mold

·      Ponding/Wet Lawn

·      Foundation Issues

·      Damp Walls or Basements

·       Settling Patios/Walks, etc.

·       Mosquito Breeding Ground

Creating a path of least resistance to control or move water away from its undesired location helps alleviate surface runoff.  Usually an improperly pitched property provides a direct path for water to move towards a home. Simply adjusting the landscape grading improves drainage and redirects water away from a home and off the property. Installing a French Drain also adds to the benefits of property grading.

Creating an effective swale is another way to prevent drainage problems. By directing water off the property, you can prevent pooling (breeding ground for mosquitos) and help make your yard more enjoyable.

Minimize impervious surfaces on your property. In nature, most precipitation soaks into the ground where it falls. Plants absorb much of this through their roots. However, surfaces that are impervious don't absorb water, and that water becomes runoff. Reducing the amount of impervious surface on your property decreases the amount of potential runoff.

Creating an effective drainage solution

Preventing water damage is easy; most homes do not need extensive waterproofing or foundation repairs. The systems used by Integrity Drainage Solutions simply help move water away from your home or area of concern using a precise and technical approach. Integrity Drainage Solutions, is the Greater Milwaukee area’s leading grading company, providing practical solutions to common drainage problems.