10 Effects of Standing Water on Alabama Homes

How Standing Water Impacts Your Home

1. Increase in Mosquitoes and Pests

Standing water will attract pests and turn your yard into a breeding ground for unwanted critters. Mosquitoes can breed in just one teaspoon of standing water, and if you have large pools of floodwater, populations can grow quickly. Water-loving pests include roaches, termites, rodents, ants, and ticks. 

2. Damages Lawns and Causes Trees to Fall

Plants cannot grow in saturated soil, and standing water will kill your lawn and nearby vegetation. Water can even uproot entire trees because root systems do not have the strength to hold up trees when the soil is wet. In the worst-case scenario, a waterlogged tree could fall and crash into your home or land on your car.

3. Causes Your Septic System to Backup

The leach field of your septic system relies on dry soil to disperse wastewater. If your yard is saturated, the septic system could fail. When this happens, sewage could bubble up into your yard or back up into the lowest drain of your home, creating a terrible mess.

4. Contaminates Your Well Water

The standing water in your yard could leach contaminants into your groundwater, which could affect your drinking water. Even when the standing water never comes in direct contact with your well head, the movement of water below the surface could put your drinking water at risk of contamination from pollutants, pathogens, chemicals, or wildlife contaminants. 

5. Makes Your Home More Flood Prone

What happens when you have another rainstorm after your soil is already saturated from standing water? The new stormwater and runoff will have nowhere to go, and your water problems could worsen. Because your property could be less resilient to rainstorms, you could have a higher flood risk than other nearby homes that have better water management systems. 

6. Creates Water Issues in Your Basement

Eventually, outdoor water problems will become indoor water problems as water seeps through the cracks and joints of your foundation. At first, your home’s humidity will increase, and as the problem worsens, you could get puddles of standing water in your basement. 

7. Worsens Air Quality and Causes Mold Growth

Alabama cities like Birmingham and Huntsville are known for their humidity, and water problems in the home can increase the risk of mold growth. It won’t just be your basement that is affected. Air quality issues will spread throughout the house as air circulates upward from the ground floor. 

8. Increases in Underground Hydrostatic Pressure

Your soil will continue to absorb moisture from the pooling water in your yard. As the area of soil saturation increases, waterlogged soil will approach or surround your home, and there will be an increase in the natural force that water exerts on your foundation. Called hydrostatic pressure, the water can crack concrete and cause basement walls to shift or bow inward. 

9. Causes Foundation Shifts or Cracks

Most types of foundation damage begin as water problems. Wet soil can destabilize your home, causing cracks, tilting, or differential settlement. You can see evidence of these underground changes inside your home with uneven floors, nail pops, or sticking windows or doors. 

10. Causes Structural Damage and Home System Failure

If water problems become indoor flooding, you could experience significant damage. Your furnace, hot water heater, and air conditioning unit could be ruined. Wooden support beams could also start to absorb water, weakening your structure. Just one inch of water in the home causes about $25,000 in damage, and in Mobile, where 33 percent of homes are at risk of flood damage, there’s about $41 million in flood damage each year. 

What Can You Do About Standing Water in Alabama?

Water management is key to protecting your home from the damage caused by standing water and flooding. The waterproofing experts at AFS Foundation and Waterproofing Specialists help homeowners throughout Alabama with the customized implementation of water management solutions to address the property’s unique needs. 

Common solutions to standing water include:

• Gutters and downspouts can help you manage new rainfall and keep water away from your foundation. 
• Interior drainage systems help intercept leaking water, directing it to a sump pump.
• Sump pumps can reduce water damage by automatically removing water as soon as it’s detected. 

Trust AFS for Reliable Water Management Solutions

Any amount of water in your home is dangerous, whether it’s a small puddle or an all-out flood in your basement. Along with impacting your home’s structural integrity, water intrusion endangers your family’s health and safety.

What’s the best way to protect your Alabama home from water damage? Find out with a free inspection from the waterproofing experts at AFS. We’ll recommend solutions customized to your home’s unique needs and help you create a healthier living environment for your family. Get started by contacting us today!

Ted Dryce

Content Writer

Ted is an SEO Content Writer who has been with Groundworks since 2021. He’s covered home repair topics ranging from crawl space encapsulation to regional soil conditions. When he’s not working, Ted is performing improv comedy and working on his own creative projects.