Home Repair Help With Exterior Water Problems

Maintaining a home can sometimes be a arduous task and any home repair help we can get will help to simplify an otherwise potentially difficult problem. With all the resources available these days, large home centers and the Internet, most of the time we just need a little technical direction and the right tools to help us with our home repair needs such as bathroom repairs, floor repairs, doors, windows, etc.

Preventative maintenance is the key to keeping a place as worry free as possible and protecting our home and investment while saving money at the same time. There are a few simple things that we can do to keep small problems from turning into larger ones. From exterior water drainage to bathrooms and drywall repair, a little observation and techniques can save us much in the long run.

In general, water is a structure’s biggest enemy, inside and out, and will be yours too if steps are not taken to see that it is dealt with properly. Most homes have had the exterior drainage established at the time of construction, but over the years things get in the way or breakdown such as trees, gutters, roofing and even ground sloping changes as dirt and leaves fill in drainages and pile against the house.

The best time to see what is happening with water flow around the house is while it is raining, preferably in a fairly hard rain, yes, that means put on some rain gear and stand under a eave of the house where you think you may have problems, actually go all the way around the house while you are at it, watch what it is doing and you will be amazed at how accurate a picture you will have of what the water is doing and where it is going and then, where it needs to go.

Be sure to look up at the gutters if you have them, by observing them you may see that they are too low or sagging and the water is running over the top of them, they also may be filled with debris and are overflowing. Is water coming out of the downspouts? They may be plugged. Maybe there are no gutters where there should be, especially on the uphill side of the house where the water needs to get around the sides of the house and on downhill and away. Installing gutters there will help remove excess ground water and minimize intrusion into the crawl space.

As far as debris or dirt against the house, there should always be at least 6 inch minimum clearance of foundation showing from ground level to the bottom edge of the main wall or house siding, whatever that may be. Not only does this help in moisture possibly migrating into the lower wall, it will help with insect infestation also. Be sure that the ground is slopped away from the house and if you do not have a real obvious slope, just remember, you can check it out in the rain the next time a good storm comes through.