| Maintaining a home can sometimes be a arduous task | | | | gear and stand under a eave of the house where you |
| and any home repair help we can get will help to | | | | think you may have problems, actually go all the way |
| simplify an otherwise potentially difficult problem. With | | | | around the house while you are at it, watch what it is |
| all the resources available these days, large home | | | | doing and you will be amazed at how accurate a |
| centers and the Internet, most of the time we just | | | | picture you will have of what the water is doing and |
| need a little technical direction and the right tools to help | | | | where it is going and then, where it needs to go. |
| us with our home repair needs such as bathroom | | | | Be sure to look up at the gutters if you have them, by |
| repairs, floor repairs, doors, windows, etc. | | | | observing them you may see that they are too low or |
| Preventative maintenance is the key to keeping a | | | | sagging and the water is running over the top of them, |
| place as worry free as possible and protecting our | | | | they also may be filled with debris and are overflowing. |
| home and investment while saving money at the same | | | | Is water coming out of the downspouts? They may |
| time. There are a few simple things that we can do to | | | | be plugged. Maybe there are no gutters where there |
| keep small problems from turning into larger ones. | | | | should be, especially on the uphill side of the house |
| From exterior water drainage to bathrooms and | | | | where the water needs to get around the sides of the |
| drywall repair, a little observation and techniques can | | | | house and on downhill and away. Installing gutters there |
| save us much in the long run. | | | | will help remove excess ground water and minimize |
| In general, water is a structure's biggest enemy, inside | | | | intrusion into the crawl space. |
| and out, and will be yours too if steps are not taken to | | | | As far as debris or dirt against the house, there should |
| see that it is dealt with properly. Most homes have had | | | | always be at least 6 inch minimum clearance of |
| the exterior drainage established at the time of | | | | foundation showing from ground level to the bottom |
| construction, but over the years things get in the way | | | | edge of the main wall or house siding, whatever that |
| or breakdown such as trees, gutters, roofing and even | | | | may be. Not only does this help in moisture possibly |
| ground sloping changes as dirt and leaves fill in | | | | migrating into the lower wall, it will help with insect |
| drainages and pile against the house. | | | | infestation also. Be sure that the ground is slopped |
| The best time to see what is happening with water | | | | away from the house and if you do not have a real |
| flow around the house is while it is raining, preferably in | | | | obvious slope, just remember, you can check it out in |
| a fairly hard rain, yes, that means put on some rain | | | | the rain the next time a good storm comes through. |