Landscaping Season

With summer in full bloom, your attention might turn to outside projects around your home. This is a very good time of year for starting building maitenence projects and general repairs. One area that deserves attention is water runoff.

Almost all basements let water in at one time or another. Drains can back up, long periods of rain can raise the water table and appliances can overflow. It's never good when that happens. The biggest cause of water in the basement, however, is surface water coming through the foundation. This water can ruin foundation, rot wooden structural members and feed mold and mildew.

Most surface water can be diverted away from the house by use of downspouts. Be sure your gutters and dounspouts are in good worling order. There are several products that help direct the water from the downspouts away from the house.

Look at how the ground slopes away from the house. You should hve a drop of an inch or more for every 5 feet from the house. Many people pland bushes close to the house, surrounded by mulch. This is fine, although grass is better at shedding water than mulch, and working the soil might actually cause the ground to DROP near the house. You need to build up the ground near the house.

But not too high, relative to the siding. You need to maintain at least 6" between the ground and the top of the foundation. A lot of the homes I inspect have dirt actually touching the siding. This is an open invitation to all SORTS of things you don't want in your home (Ants, snakes, mice, pirates)!

Look for more tips on this page designed to help you keep your home happy and safe.