Water leaks caused by plumbing issues and weathering are among the primary factors contributing to seepage through walls, along with clogged gutters, leaky sprinkler pipes and broken window seals.
Water penetration can cause irreparable wall damage and health complications. Wet patches in wallpaper or paint often indicate where moisture has penetrated walls, while it can even damage brick structures underlying them.
Gutters and Downspouts
Gutters work to collect precipitation off of roofs of buildings, channel it down into downspouts and discharge it away from structures to avoid serious issues such as water intrusion, foundation settlement or roof damage.
Maintaining clean gutters and downspouts is vitally important to ensuring efficient water flow. Clogs in either can lead to overflows that lead to leakage, forcing you to constantly clear them out or lead to costly repair bills for leakage damage.
Make sure that the land around your home slopes away from its walls for proper drainage. This will enable water to quickly drain away, and prevent seeping through walls. Achieve this slope can be accomplished through adding soil or altering existing landscape. Installing a downspout, or rain chain can also help redirect its flow by channeling it over splash blocks before downpipeing it to the ground.
Siding
Rainwater that finds its way inside your house’s sheathing (or “walls”, in older homes) can damage drywall and create mold growth, so keeping gutters clear and channeling water away from your house are two effective strategies to fend off this potential danger.
Trim boards (or J channels) around windows and doors as well as the soffit/fascia should be carefully designed to prevent water infiltration behind them. Inspecting these elements for soft spots, dampness, rot or gaps will help detect infiltration before any occurs.
Under-siding weather-resistant barriers like tar paper or HardieWrap should always be installed for moisture prevention purposes, preventing water seeping into walls through moisture penetration. Builders that neglect this step – which was often practiced under old IRC guidelines – often face costly and serious issues in later stages. A suitable moisture barrier helps wood dry out while simultaneously protecting structural issues.
Flashing
Wall water leakage stems from either improper construction or degradation of building materials that allow rainwater to seep into walls and undermine your home’s structure. Flashing should be installed around any non-continuous exterior surfaces in order to stop rainwater seepage through and into walls.
Flashing is a strip of waterproof material installed at roof intersections and projections such as chimneys, dormers, vent pipes, windows and doors to keep water out. This sheet usually fits under each shingle in a wall or chimney for maximum effectiveness; additionally, counter flashing can be added behind chimneys or at corners to further seal these openings from water ingress.
Flashing can become damaged from exposure to weather elements and require professional intervention to repair. Once this happens, more serious issues could arise that require professional evaluation to pinpoint its source and offer solutions.
Foundation
if water seepage through your foundation walls is occurring, it could be because moisture-laden soil around your house and basement has collected in these areas, creating pressure on foundation walls that could shift and crack mortar joints over time.
Gutters and downspouts play a critical role in protecting homes from rainwater by channeling it away from their foundation. Clogged gutters or short downspouts cannot do their job as effectively; maintaining clean gutters and extending out downspouts will prevent this issue.
Cracked foundation walls or the joint between floor and wall may be caused by external factors like clogged gutters or improperly graded soil. A vapor barrier or drain tile system may be needed to keep moisture out through these cracks and seeping into your foundation; either one could include installing polyethylene sheets inside basement foundation walls; the latter involves installing perforated pipes with drainage holes underneath and/or outside foundation walls so as to capture any groundwater seepage and direct it away from your home.