May Water.. Is your house water prepared for the spring showers?
The number 1 item that can damage a house and is ignored, is water. The easiest way it can hurt a home is poor drainage around the foundation. Water puts pressure on concrete over time when the soil gets saturated and can move walls and cause other long term expensive fixes. Poor drainage around the foundation can cause one heavy rain to leak into the basement when just a few adjustments could keep this from happening.
Tip 1. Have all gutter downspouts exit at least 3 to 4 feet from the side of the home. Here are some examples of good extensions.
Tip 2. Make sure you clean your gutters regularly. Some of our Kansas trees will plug gutters faster with their spring seeding then they will with leaves or sticks. It doesn’t matter how far away the exits are, if the water is just going right over the side of the gutters.
Tip 3: Make sure you have a drop of at least an inch, preferably 2 to 4 inches from the side of your house/foundation. 1 yard. You can use a large level to check this. If this isn’t, dig the dirt out by hand and move. (Make sure if you add dirt next to the foundation it isn’t within 4 to 8 inches of siding so bugs and termites don’t jump in, another post there)
Tip 4. If you have a problem area next to the foundation that is constantly wet, consider getting a hardscape tarp and rock so less moisture can infiltrate the area and water is all brought out 3 feet from foundation. This can look nice and is helpful for yards where the pitch of the yard is mostly flat.
Tip 5. You have done all this but a downspout falls off. Check this every year to two years and upgrade or repair any changes.
Water maintenance is an ongoing part of homeownership. If you would like a quick walk around with Justin to see where some quick easy fixes could be, let us know.
Call or text 785.260.0076 or email justin@greatmoveteam.com