When the rains clear and you do the regular inspections and maintenance on your business, the last thing you want to find are several pools of water in your crawl space or around your foundation, rot or black mold on the floor and wet documents. Your may want to immediately replace your flooring, but what you must do first is address your drainage problem or you will have repeat water damage problems.
Building Inspections
If your building has a crawl space, inspect it at least twice a year for water entry, flooding or decay. It is also a good idea to have a pest control service inspect the building for signs of critters that can cause structural damage.
Gutter Placement
While conducting a building inspection, make sure the gutters remain directed at least six feet away from the foundation. However, if you have a sloping yard or the business is on a hillside, you may need to extend the gutter drain further. While a runoff drains in the ground may not be your ideal business accessory, you may need to install them just under the surface of the building’s landscaping to prevent pooling. Burying a French drain around the perimeter of your building’s foundation down to the footing is an effective and discrete way to prevent water damage, rot and mold.
Landscaping
Your business’ landscaping may also be to blame for bad drainage. Yards that slope towards a building, mulch, loose rocks, weeds and topsoil near a foundation can direct runoff water and rain towards that area with the help of gravity. If this is a problem you encounter, consider using a heavy clay soil that you compact and slope as your first layer of landscaping can help prevent water from traveling towards your business. Additionally, make sure that concrete walkways, patios and driveways, as well as those made from pavers, slope to ensure proper drainage.
Sump Pumps
If your business is too low for a gravity-drained system to draw water away from the building, you may need to install an exterior sump pump. This will help raise and direct the water to a location where gravity will help drain the water away and prevent flooding.
[image: bats22]
