What Happens to Poor Drainage During Ontario’s Freeze-Thaw Cycle?

If you’ve noticed more puddles, soggy areas or water collecting around your property this summer, you’re probably not alone. We’ve had plenty of rain across the Ottawa Valley, and all that water has a way of revealing drainage problems that may have been easy to overlook in drier years.

As we head into fall, those problems are worth paying attention to. Once temperatures begin dropping below freezing, poor drainage can lead to bigger issues — particularly when water repeatedly freezes, thaws and freezes again.

Here’s what can happen when excess water has nowhere to go.

Water Expands When It Freezes

When water collects in the soil, beneath a driveway or in other poorly drained areas, it can freeze as temperatures drop. As it freezes, it expands and can contribute to movement in the surrounding soil and aggregate.

Over the course of an Ontario winter, temperatures can move above and below freezing many times. That repeated freeze-thaw cycle can put stress on driveways, walkways and other areas of your property.

If you already have drainage issues going into winter, those problem areas may become much more noticeable by spring.

Driveways Can Take a Beating

Poor drainage is one of the biggest enemies of a gravel driveway.

Water that collects on or beneath the driveway can contribute to soft spots, ruts, potholes, erosion and an uneven surface. Once freezing temperatures arrive, trapped moisture can make existing weak areas worse.

Then comes spring. As frozen ground begins to thaw and snow melts, even more water needs somewhere to go. A driveway that already had drainage problems in the fall can become muddy, washed out or difficult to navigate.

Proper grading and drainage can help move water away from the driveway rather than allowing it to collect where it can cause damage.

Standing Water Can Lead to Erosion

All of the rain we’ve had this summer has made it easier to see where water naturally travels across a property.

Maybe you’ve noticed a new channel forming after a storm. Perhaps gravel or soil keeps washing away from the same area. Or you might have a low spot that seems to stay wet long after the rest of the property has dried.

These are all clues that water isn't being directed effectively.

Left unaddressed, repeated runoff can gradually carry away soil and gravel, deepen channels and create larger drainage problems. Winter and spring runoff can accelerate that process.

Water Can Collect Around Buildings

One drainage problem you don't want to ignore is water moving toward your home, garage or other structures.

The grade around a building should help direct surface water away from it. If the property slopes toward the structure instead, heavy rain and melting snow can collect where you don't want it.

Correcting the grade or improving drainage around the property can help redirect that water before another winter and spring thaw put the area to the test.

Culverts and Ditches Need to Be Ready for Spring

Ditches and culverts are designed to keep water moving, but they can't do their job properly if they are blocked, damaged, undersized or poorly graded.

Fall is a good time to take a look at how water is moving through your property. If a ditch is holding water or a culvert isn't draining properly after a heavy rainfall, there's a good chance the problem will still be there when snow starts melting in the spring.

Depending on the situation, improving drainage might involve cleaning up or reshaping a ditch, replacing a culvert, changing the grade or excavating a better route for water to travel.

This Summer's Rain Has Given You a Good Drainage Test

There is one upside to a rainy summer: it can show you exactly where your property's drainage system is falling short.

Take a walk around your property after a heavy rainfall. Look for standing water, washed-out gravel, soggy ground, erosion, overflowing ditches and water collecting near buildings. These are all signs worth investigating before the ground freezes.

Fixing a drainage problem in the fall can help protect your driveway and property through the freeze-thaw season — and leave you better prepared when the snow starts melting next spring.

Need Help With a Drainage Problem?

If this summer's rain has uncovered drainage problems on your property, Burns Excavation can help determine what's causing the issue and the best way to address it.

From grading and ditching to culvert installation and excavation, we can help get water moving in the right direction.

Contact Burns Excavation to talk about your drainage or excavation project in Perth, Smiths Falls and the surrounding area.