Brentwood Water in Electrical Trench              Encino Water in Crawl Space

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Often times, property owners or buyers of new properties are concerned about water intrusion into the building crawl space or basement.  Adverse drainage conditions not only can cause serious health (mold) and termite problems, but also they may cause settlement of the structure as the underlying soils may become weakened and are made more compressible.  Adverse drainage conditions can also cause serious damage to structures constructed on expansive soils, which can expand or contract due to changes in moisture content.  Another impact of adverse drainage conditions may be slippage of the structure and slopes.  Retaining walls can be weakened and may crack or rotate excessively by years of adverse drainage conditions. 

We are equipped with geologic maps indicating whether or not a property is within a shallow groundwater regime.  However, shallow groundwater typically is not the cause of water problems; rather the source of water is more likely to be inadequate grading of the site or subsurface flow along daylighted bedrock bedding planes in a hillside area. 

Depending on the nature of the observed problems, we can develop various solutions for mitigation of adverse drainage conditions.  The solutions may be as simple as adding roof gutters and downspouts to the building, to sloping the exterior grades away from the structure, and/or to installing a French-drain system. 

                                                   A French-drain Installation in Encino

Upon completion of the drainage inspection, we will make a verbal presentation to you describing the causes and remedies for the observed distress typically followed within 2 to 3 days by a written report of our findings and recommendations.  The report will include selected photographs of the affected areas and design drawings if appropriate.  You would then be able to use the report to obtain quotes from qualified contractors for repairs or for use in negotiations with the seller. 

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