Which Pipe is Best?

I need to get my gutter water away from my house. Which kind of pipe should I use?

Great question! There's a short answer and a long answer.

The Short Answer
There are two main types of pipe used in residential settings to transfer rain water. Corrugated pipe and PVC pipe. Corrugated pipe is the cheapest, easiest, and most common option. But we advise people against using corrugated pipe to transfer water underground. (*Note: This article deals with transferring water with a solid pipe, not constructing a French drain. That's another topic for another day!)

The Long Answer

Corrugated Pipe: The term "corrugated" applies to any material that has alternating ridges and

4" Corrugated Pipe

grooves. You've probably seen a corrugated metal roof or even corrugated cardboard. But in this case, we are referring to corrugated plastic. The most common corrugated pipe used in residential settings is black with a 4" diameter.

Pros of Corrugated Pipe:

• Less expensive than other options.
• Can be easily bent due to the corrugated nature. It can almost make a 90 degree bend in a tight space without using any additional fittings.
• Is light weight and easy to work with.
• Readily available at your local home improvement store.

Cons of Corrugated Pipe:

• Debris and sediment has a tendency to get caught and accumulate in the ridges, therefore slowing down water flow. 
• The pipe walls are thin and soft, and they can easily be damaged.
• If the pipe is exposed above ground, it is easily damaged by weed trimmers, lawn mowers, foot traffic, and pets.
• If the pipe is buried below ground, the pipe wall can be penetrated by roots. Even shrub roots can penetrate the wall in search of water, causing up to 100% blockage. 

PVC Pipe: PVC stands for Polyvinyl Chloride, and is commonly used as a more durable and less expensive alternative to traditional materials such as metal or terra cotta. PVC can be produced in many colors, sizes, lengths, and thicknesses. It is often used for sewer and plumbing, but it is also a

4" PVC Pipe

great product for many yard drainage situations. 

Pros of PVC Pipe:

• It is much more durable than corrugated. Roots will not penetrate the walls.
• The walls of the pipe are smooth so there are no ridges to slow down water flow or to catch debris.
• Clean-outs can be installed for system maintenance.  
• For these reasons, it has a much longer life span than corrugated pipe.

Cons of PVC Pipe:

• More expensive to purchase than corrugated pipe.
• More labor-intensive to install.
• Due to it's rigid nature, fittings must be used to bend or turn the pipe. Fittings are commonly glued together using a special PVC cement. 
• Can be confusing to work with due to the various sizes and grades available on the market. 

Conclusion

Although PVC pipe is more expensive and more difficult to install, it is well worth the extra investment in the long run. A homeowner that wants to do it right the first time, and not have to come back and fix the problem again in a few years, should strongly consider installing PVC pipe to transfer water away from the home.  Visit our website to learn more. 

The #1 Enemy of your Crawl Space is ...

How can I have mold in my crawl space? I know I don't have a water problem down there. 

This is a common response from homeowners when told that they have a mold problem. Visible standing water is one obvious sign of wet crawl space. But the most common enemy of the crawl space is less visible and less obvious: High Humidity. 

High humidity causes significant problems in your crawl space.
90% (pictured here) is extremely high.

If you live in the South and you have a crawl space, you need to be aware of the humidity situation in your crawl space. Humid outdoor air, poor air circulation, and the presence of other water sources often create an environment in which the humidity in the crawl space is higher than the humidity outdoors!

Our rule of thumb is that you want your humidity level to be below 60%. High humidity levels can cause the following:

• Elevated Wood Moisture Levels: levels above 16% can lead to mold growth, wood rot, and structural damage.
• Mold Growth: Mold thrives in humid environments.
• Insulation Failure: Insulation absorbs moisture like a sponge. Wet insulation decreases in R value and eventually becomes so weighted down with excess water that it falls to the floor.
• Pest Activity: Like mold, rodents and insects enjoy dark, humid environments.

  

  High humidity leads to high wood moisture levels.
  This wood is at 17% and has visible fungal growth.

• Poor Indoor Air Quality: 40%-50% of the air you breathe on your first floor originates in your crawl space. 
• Musty Smells: If you aren't sure what that smell is, there's a good chance it is coming from your crawl space. 

The good news is that humidity in your crawl space can be controlled! Visit our website to learn more about solution options or to schedule a free inspection from our experts. 

You Choose the Title!

How NOT to install a sump pump

When installed improperly a sump pump can be a source of humidity, foul odors, and mold rather than a solution. Here are three ways that this sump pump is installed improperly.

1. No lid. A proper sump basin has a lid which serves multiple purposes. 1) A lid prevents the basin water from evaporating back into your crawl space and eventually being absorbed by your insulation and floor joist. 2) A lid helps ensure a clean environment for the sump pump. Notice the dirtiness of the water and the inside of the green basin. 3) A lid is also a safety mechanism to prevent Barky or Meow from falling in. Sadly, while performing a routine inspection, one of our technicians found a customer's puppy that had been missing for months. 
2. Five-gallon bucket, rather than a proper sump pump basin. There are several models that will get the job done, but the typical basin is about twice the depth and four times the volume of this five-gallon bucket. 
3. No holes to allow ground water to enter basin. In a crawl space environment it is most effective to drill holes around the basin to allow ground water to enter the basin and then be pumped out. The only water entering this basin is being pumped through tubes (black 1" tube above) from a dehumidifier. Notice the ground surrounding this sump basin is wet and muddy because the ground water has no way of entering the basin. 

Visit our website to learn more about sump pumps, crawl space waterproofing, and basement waterproofing. Or contact us to schedule a free inspection of your home. 

What do Las Vegas and Your Wintertime Yard have in Common?

I doubt your yard looks like this.

I doubt you have neon lights, slot machines, or Elvis impersonators performing in your yard. But it is true that what happens in your wintertime yard, stays in your yard.

What do I mean by that? Hang with me. When it precipitates, the water in your yard has three options:

1. Seep into the soil. The rate at which water perks into your soil depends on your soil type. Sandy soil drains better than red clay, and rad clay drain better than blue clay. 
2. Run off to another location. Lots with more slope will have less standing water due to run off. 
3. Evaporate. Evaporation is caused by heat and happens faster in direct sunlight. 

So, in the winter what happens in your yard stays in your yard - due to a lack of evaporation. Have you noticed that in the winter months, particularly in shady areas, your yard tends to be muddier and soggier. If you would like to get rid of this, your best bet may be an underground drainage system, such as a French drain. 

Two Common Problems - One Common Culprit

Down spout erosion. Standing water in foreground.

The culprit: water.

The problems: erosion and flooding.

This great photo (submitted by a desperate homeowner in Concord, NC) illustrates two different but related water problems. Rain water gushes out of this downspout causing erosion. The gutter water, as well as water from other parts of the yard, gather in this low spot near the driveway to create nice wadding pool.

The result is dead grass, an unusable yard, and a breeding ground for mosquitoes.

This perfect storm can be resolved, however. First of all, in a situation like this it is good to extend the gutter underground to a more desirable location such as a ditch, a storm drain, or a lesser used part of the yard. Next an underground French drain may be recommended to collect water from this area and move it to another location. Finally, regrading the area serve as a way to move surface water to where you want it to go.

This type of project usually requires an excavator and may be too involved for the average DIY'er. If you have erosion or standing water contact Green Frog Waterproofing for a Free Estimate.

What is that smell?

I used to think that houses smelled musty because they were old, or because they had old things in them. Now I know that smell is often a symptom of something worse. The most common cause of a musty smelling house is the crawl space. Due to the stack effect, approximately 40% of the air you breath in your home originates in your crawl space. If your crawl space is moldy then the air in your home will be moldy. So I was partially right when I used to think that houses smelled musty because they were old.

The truth is that many homes in North Carolina built prior to 2004 are not properly waterproofed. Therefore many of them have a moisture issue in the crawl space which can lead to a mold issue in the crawl space. And when you have a mold issue in the crawl space you often have a musty smell in the home. 

So if the air in your home seems stale or smells musty, take a peek in your crawl space. Better yet, contact Green Frog Waterproofing for a free inspection. It could literally lead to a breath of fresh air.

5 Winter Tips for a Healthy Home

There are a few winter tips that (almost) everyone knows, such as opening your blinds when the sun is shining, closing your front door, and not leaving the fridge open ... but we won't mention those here. Here are some lesser known tips that might end up saving you a lot of money and headache this winter.

1. Don't leave it out in the cold. 

If your hot water heater is in your attic or garage, it is a good idea to wrap it with insulation to not lose heat.

2. Open or closed?

It is usually best to open your crawl space vents during the dry winter months to help dry out your crawl space. The one exception is when it is so cold that your pipes could freeze. But that is unlikely in the Carolinas. The geothermal heat rising from the ground under your house is usually enough to keep your crawl space above freezing, and if you have a gas furnace it will also give off enough radiant heat to keep your crawl space above 32 F. 

3. Did you know?  

Condensation (which can lead to mold) is usually thought of as a summer problem. But condensation can happen in your crawl space wherever warm and cold air mix. It can happen in the winter if your crawl space is warm and cold air is being sucked in through the vents. 

4. Who turned out the light? 

Check your crawl space regularly to ensure that bulk water is not present. Aside from causing other problems such as mold and structural damage, water can extinguish your furnace’s pilot light which can lead to carbon monoxide being leaked into your home.

5. I feel a draft!  

If you feel a draft on your first floor, there is a good chance it is coming from the crawl space. Draftiness or cold patches are often due to missing insulation or utility penetrations created in the sub floor during construction. Other than leaving your front door open, the crawl space is the easiest (and most often overlooked) way for cold air to sneak in. The best way to keep this from happening is to seal or encapsulate your crawl space. By sealing out all the outside air and insulating the walls, a sealed crawl space drastically improves the indoor air quality and energy efficiency or your home.