Protecting Your Home: The Importance of a Functional Home Drainage System

Both homeowners and tenants can benefit from caring for their homes' drainage systems.

As we enter the Cape's rainy season, a few of us remember the disastrous floods in KZN exactly one year ago. That may have been on a national-disaster scale, but many outlying homes could have probably benefitted from better drainage. 

A home drainage system consists of all the piping in your home that disposes sewage, liquid waste and excess rainwater. This is essential to maintaining the structural integrity of your home and to maintain healthy living conditions.

Good drainage:

- Prevents excessive streaming of stormwater and flooding

- Minimises soil erosion (less mud = less flood)

- Moves excess water along, preventing the stagnation thereof, or pooling around sewage systems

Why should I care?

- Good drainage preserves the structure of your home, maintaining your walls, floors and foundation.

- It's key for your health: wastewater, and, even worse, sewage, can seep into clean water supplies and cause a bacterial hazard.

- Good drainage prevents excess moisture that can cause damp, as well as dangerous mould and mildew in your home. This poses both a health hazard and can potentially damage your belongings.

- Flooding can destroy your landscaping. Not only can it damage your foundation, but it can also destroy your ground levelling, flower beds, and uproot your favourite plants (For the love of agapanthus, not that!).

How can I maintain my drainage system?

- Clear fallen leaves, twigs and any other debris from your yard that may block drains.

- N.B. Regularly clean your gutters (blocked gutters cut off the effective drainage of stormwater). Experts recommend twice a year, once before the rainy season (just before April, but now is great too), and once after the rainy season (early October). Get an expert gutter cleaner in, especially for second storeys that are hard to reach.

- Maintain drain covers that filter out larger debris and prevent pipes from getting clogged.

A proper drainage system is essential to maintain your home and prevent water damage. Whether it's from sudden flash flooding; or slowly seeping into the structure of your home, if you leave it too late, it might lead to costly repairs or health hazards.

Whether you're a homeowner or tenant, don't wait until it's too late to address drainage issues. Contact Seeff Hermanus today should you wish to find out about drainage maintenance services in the area and keep your property in top condition.