People tend to ignore their home drainage systems . . . until a catastrophe happens! Home drainage systems, however, must be properly and professionally installed and regularly maintained to keep major issues from happening. There are many possible problems that can affect their efficacy. Following are a few tips that will help you keep them in good working order and hopefully prevent a disaster.

If you have an older home, your outdated exterior pipes may need to get switched out with newer stronger piping. This is often the case with clay pipes. These are no longer installed, however, if an older home has them, various landscaping issues and tree roots can impact the entire home plumbing system.

This upgrade can be expensive so most people are not going to replace the pipes unless they have to. Just keep an eye out for the signs of a major problem. Recurring blockages that cause water to flow out of your drains, likely means that you exterior pipes have been entered by rampant roots and weeds.

Cleaning your gutters and downspouts at least once a year is also a good habit for keeping home drainage systems in working order. Start at the base of the downspouts as this is where most of the materials collect. Removing organic matter from the rooftop and at the base of the downspouts will eliminate moist, organic matter that can serve as good breeding grounds for insects.

When landscaping your yard try to choose landscaping features that will help to absorb excess water. Certain plants and grass types can soak up a lot of standing water. This is particularly beneficial if you live in a low, flat and consistently wet region.

Check your soil to ensure that all water is draining away from your home and not up against the foundation. You can fill in various areas as necessary, in order to create a good downward slope or use drainage pipes to divert water away from the foundation. Using these steps to maintain your drainage systems will help you to preserve your investment. You will have less water damage and fewer plumbing issues.