Drainage in Leola, PA

Leola sits on a low ridge in central Lancaster County, so water on a lot has to go somewhere, and it often goes toward the house. Lancaster French Drain handles drainage work in Leola, PA, from French drains to sump pumps to regrading. We are based in Lancaster and drive out to you; we do not have an office in Leola.

How Leola's ridge and creeks shape drainage problems

Leola is a census-designated place in central Lancaster County, mostly in Upper Leacock Township and reaching east into the southern corner of West Earl Township. It takes in the communities of Leacock, Leola, Bareville and Groffdale, and New Holland Pike (Route 23) runs the length of it.

Water leaves the ridge in two directions

The area sits on a low ridge that runs east to west. Ground on the north side drains through tributaries of Groff Creek toward the Conestoga River. Ground on the south side drains to Mill Creek, which is also a tributary of the Conestoga. For a homeowner, that means where your lot sits relative to the ridge decides where its water wants to go. A house partway down a slope takes runoff from the ground above it. A house at the bottom of a slope collects it.

Freeze, thaw and summer storms

Leola has a hot-summer humid continental climate. January averages 30.3 °F, so the ground freezes and thaws through the winter. Frozen soil does not absorb rain, which sends meltwater and winter rain across the surface and toward foundations. Humid summers bring heavy storms that can drop a lot of water in a short time. A drain or gutter system that copes with ordinary rain can be overwhelmed by one of those.

Drainage services we offer in Leola

We group our work under three main services. Most Leola jobs fall into one of them, and many involve two.

French drains, dry wells and curtain drains

French Drain Installation is the core of what we do. A French drain is a trench with perforated pipe set in washed stone, wrapped in filter fabric, sloped to carry water away from a wet spot or a foundation. The same service covers curtain drains that intercept water above a house, interior drains, foundation drains, dry wells and drainage repair.

Wet basements and sump pumps

Basement Waterproofing covers water that is already inside or about to be. That includes wet basement repair, sump pump installation, repair and replacement, foundation crack repair and crawl space waterproofing. On a lot that slopes toward the house, the fix often combines work inside the basement with work outside it.

Surface water, grading and downspouts

Yard Drainage deals with water on top of the ground: regrading, downspout drainage, catch basins, channel drains, swales, erosion control, culverts and commercial drainage. If your yard stays soft for days after rain, this is usually where to start.

Signs your Leola property has a drainage problem

Some signs are obvious. Others show up slowly, and it helps to know what to look for.

Inside the house

A damp smell in the basement, white mineral deposits on the block or concrete, peeling paint low on the wall, and water on the floor after heavy rain all point to water reaching the foundation. A sump pit that runs often, or a pump that never seems to rest, tells you the ground around the house is holding a lot of water.

Outside the house

Look for pooling water that lingers more than a day, bare patches where soil has washed out, gutters that overflow at the corners, and downspouts that empty right beside the wall. Soil that slopes toward the foundation instead of away from it is one of the most common causes, and it is cheap to spot and fixable once you know it is there.

What a drainage visit in Leola involves

We start by listening. You tell us where the water shows up and when, and we walk the property with you.

We look at the gutters and where each downspout discharges, the grade around the foundation, the low spots in the yard, and any damp walls or sump pits inside. We also check where water could go once we collect it: a lower part of the lot, a swale, a dry well or a storm outlet. A drain that has nowhere to discharge is only a trench full of stone.

Afterward we explain what we found, what we would do and why. Sometimes the answer is a single French drain. Sometimes it is regrading plus new downspout lines. Sometimes it is a sump pump and a smaller exterior fix. If a problem is minor, we will say so. We would rather tell you that than sell you a bigger job.

Booking a drainage visit in Leola

Leola is served from our Lancaster base, which is about 8 miles west along New Holland Pike (Route 23). There is no office in Leola, so please call or write first instead of stopping by.

To book, use the Request a Drainage Visit button on this site, call (717) 696-1707, or email info@frenchdrainlancaster.com. Our hours are Monday to Friday 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM and Saturday 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM. We are closed on Sunday and we do not offer emergency or after-hours service. When you contact us, tell us which side of the house the water comes from and whether it happens after every rain or only after the big ones. That helps us arrive with the right questions.

About Leola: Leola, PA on Wikipedia · Leola on Google Maps