Alec Digs a Trench & I’m Taking Notes
It’s Giving: Structural Integrity
If you ever ask my boyfriend (yes, should be husband) Alec what he wants to do with a free afternoon, there’s a high chance he’ll say something along the lines of completing a household to-do or boring chore.
This weekend it was: “continuing to dig a hole behind our detached garage.” All I wanted to do was watch Mufasa on Disney+ haha, but Alec was knee-deep (literally) in dirt by 10am, fixing grading issues and prepping to rework a failed drainage line that we discovered behind our detached garage.
Romantic? Definitely not. Fun? Clearly depends on who you ask, haha. But relevant & very, very important? Absolutely.
Because while most people don’t spend their weekends thinking about water flow, soil slope, and perforated pipe wraps... it turns out those things can quietly make or break a home.
Why Waterproofing + Foundation Care Matters
This wasn’t something I thought much about—until I started helping people buy homes and found myself constantly looking at basements, walking the perimeter of houses, and overseeing home inspections, where I began to understand the stakes of things like water lines on foundation walls or buyers saying, “oh, I didn’t even notice that slope.”
Water isn’t dramatic. It doesn’t barge in letting you know it’s coming through haha. Annoyingly, it will show up slowly—quietly—until one day there’s a smell, or a crack, or that one corner of the basement that always feels a little damp.
One time I was touring a home with first-time buyers—and we were so excited about the natural light and overall potential the listing offered. As we walked the basement, I noticed a weird curve in one of the walls and a few water marks tucked behind an old storage shelf. The sellers hadn’t disclosed any water issues, but the signs were there. Sure enough, our inspection revealed a loooong-neglected grading issue that had been causing water to pool and push against the foundation. The fix wasn’t impossible—but it was costly, and not something my buyers were comfortable taking on at the offer we’d originally presented. Thankfully I was able to negotiate a seller credit to help cover the cost, and my buyers ended up moving forward with their purchase—feeling a lot more confident knowing what they were walking into (and how to handle it).
Repeat after me: “Out of sight, out of mind” does not apply here. Waterproofing and proper drainage are the things that quietly protect everything else you love about your home—and yes, there are things we as homeowners need to stay on top of to make sure they’re doing their job.
Water is sneaky. It finds the lowest point, the path of least resistance. And if your yard is even slightly graded the wrong way—or if your home’s drainage system isn’t set up well—water will absolutely take advantage of that. Over time, it can wear away at the base of your home, create pressure against foundation walls, and lead to cracking, settling, and moisture intrusion (and yes, causing issues such as mold. Yuck yuck yuck).
That’s why waterproofing isn’t just a technical detail—it’s foundational. (Pun intended). You don’t need to know every last detail about your soil or what’s behind your walls—but you do want to know that the water has somewhere to go, and that your house isn’t the thing standing in its way.
Drainage Is Never: One-Size-Fits-All
Not all properties are created equal—and neither are their drainage needs. What works for one home might be completely wrong for another, which is why blanket solutions or quick fixes can sometimes do more harm than good!
When evaluating how water moves around a particular home, and what kind of drainage system is appropriate, there are a number of contributing factors. It depends on things like:
The slope of your lot and how water naturally flows after a storm
How close things like patios, sidewalks, or driveways are to the home’s structure
Whether your home has a full basement, crawl space, or slab—and whether the foundation is poured concrete, block, stone, etc.
Roof design + gutter setup: how your roof sheds water, how large your gutters are, and where downspouts discharge
Soil composition: clay-heavy soils vs. sandy, fast-draining soils make a huge difference in absorption and runoff
Existing landscaping or berms: whether grading around your home is redirecting or trapping water near the structure
Climate + regional norms
Because of all these variables, a French drain might be the right move in one yard—but totally unnecessary in another. A buried downspout extension might solve a major issue for one home, while another needs full regrading. It depends entirely on the context.
What Alec’s Up To At Our Home
Our house was built in the 1830s (almost 200 years ago!) and it also sits in to a slope.
Behind our detached garage, Alec discovered a “berm” (I had to look it up haha) causing water to pool into the garage, along with a drainage line that had likely been there forever but was completely clogged and therefore no longer doing its job.
So what AJ's doing to fix the issue:
reworking the slope behind the garage
installing a new drainage line and properly wrapping it
backfilling with gravel to create a functioning French drain
tying it into the garage’s downspout so water is directed away from the structure
waterproofing the exposed wall from the exterior
Later on, I think we’ll be revisiting landscaping and hopefully adding a path that’ll go behind the garage—but for now, we’re focused on simply getting the drainage and foundation protection right.
Signs Something May Not Be Doing Its Job
Even if you haven’t experienced standing water or a full-blown basement leak, there are always subtle clues to look out for that your drainage or grading setup could possibly have stopped functioning properly. These signs can often appear gradually—but when caught early, they can help you prevent bigger issues down the line.
Here are some signs to keep an eye out for:
Water pooling near the foundation – especially after a rainstorm or snow melt. Even small puddles that linger could point to poor grading or ineffective downspout placement.
Spongy or overly soft ground close to the perimeter of your home, even in dry weather. This usually means the soil is staying saturated longer than it should.
Efflorescence – that white, powdery residue on basement walls is a telltale sign of moisture movement through masonry. It doesn’t always mean there’s an active leak, but it’s a sign water is interacting with your foundation.
Hairline cracks in foundation walls – especially if they’re widening, or accompanied by discoloration or staining. Not all cracks are serious, but they’re worth tracking.
Musty smells or humidity in the basement or crawl space – even if there’s no visible moisture, smell is often the first thing to show up.
Soil erosion or sinking near walkways, patios, or your home’s edge. This may be subtle, but it often points to runoff that isn’t being properly channeled away.
Downspouts emptying too close to the house – if extensions are missing, damaged, or discharging within 2–3 feet of the foundation, that’s usually too close.
Not every one of these is an “emergency.” But they are indicators. They’re the kinds of patterns I notice when touring homes, and they can sometimes hint at broader issues with grading, drainage, or waterproofing that simply need to be addressed—either before buying or as part of longer-term maintenance.
What I Mean When I Say: I’ve Got You
As a Realtor who works with many first-time and new-ish buyers, these are the kinds of details I make it a point to notice. Drainage, grading, waterproofing—they’re not always obvious, but they matter more than most people realize. Knowing what you’re working with makes all the difference—whether it’s negotiating after an inspection, budgeting for updates, or simply feeling confident in your investment.
I take this part of my job very seriously. Every buyer deserves an agent who knows their shit—someone who doesn’t just point out the gorgeous finishes or dreamy potential of a home, but who also notices and considers things like the foundation, too. And this is one of the many reasons I’m always honored to be a new buyer’s choice of representation—and someone you feel confident referring to your friends and family when it comes time to buy a home in the Western Suburbs or greater Chicagoland area.
…Still Giving: Structural Integrity
Buying a home is emotional, practical, and deeply personal all at once. It’s so easy to get caught up in the aesthetics (trust me, haha I definitely understand)—but the structure, the systems at play, and the unseen stuff matter just as much, if not more.
My hope is that by taking the time to create posts like this can leave you feeling a little more informed, empowered, and a lot more supported—whether you're just starting to think about buying or already deep in the process.
Thanks for reading, and as always—I'm here whenever you need me!
– Amanda Lee
