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We've been in our house almost 2 years. Drainage is an issue in our backyard, and after the first downpour with some seepage into the house, my SO has dug a trench to the front of the house. That has helped, but we know it's a temporary solution. Even though our house had foundation work done in the 90s, we both realize that sooner or later, it will need more work done.
Last night our area got hit good with storms, and we had water intrusion along the foundation along the back and side of the house. Right now, we are using a shop vac and fans to suck up the water and dry the affected areas, but I am looking for any suggestions for more efficient/effective DIY ways to do this. I have seen rental places that rent carpet fans and extractors. Will that help? Is there anything else we aren't aware of?
Re-grade so the runoff doesn't go into the house, and/or install an exterior drain tile system. Removing the water isn't the solution; preventing it from getting in the first place is.
Does your AC have a de-humidification setting? Even if not, just running the AC will help pull moisture out of the air. A dehumidifier will help if you can actually find a place that has any left in stock.
Good news is if it is surface run off, that's probably the easiest to prevent going forward. Probably a good idea to keep a sump pump on hand as well until you're sure the problem is solved.
Good advice so far. Shop vacs, AC, dehumidifier, fans (in that order). If the air is still at the dew point or slightly above because of the rain, blowing air over the wet surfaces won't do too much. The humidity has to be at a point where the air can absorb more moisture.
Drain boxes should only be used as a last resort. If the grade around a house is done correctly there is no need for them. A last resort would be a change in the current grade that doesn't allow "gravity sheet flow" or concentrates flow to a narrow area.
I have seen them put into old established yards because of poor grading or soil settlement issues. However, you still have to maintain a certain amount of fall for them to "work"; and you have to be diligent about keeping it clear of debris- both on and in the box.
Drain boxes should only be used as a last resort. If the grade around a house is done correctly there is no need for them. A last resort would be a change in the current grade that doesn't allow "gravity sheet flow" or concentrates flow to a narrow area.
I have seen them put into old established yards because of poor grading or soil settlement issues. However, you still have to maintain a certain amount of fall for them to "work"; and you have to be diligent about keeping it clear of debris- both on and in the box.
In our case, regrading would have been very expensive and perhaps not possible (it's a very slight uphill from our walk-out door to the edge of our property line. However, burring the downspouts solved the problem.
OP, if you want a cheap DIY solution, try burying downspouts and then drains. You can get those plastic drains that are perforated and covered in Styrofoam peas to allow drainage.
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