Where does the rain water want to go??

1.  Did your gutters overflow ?  Most of us don't periodically clean our gutters as we should.

2.  Too often our gutter downspouts discharge the rain water close to our house foundation instead of several feet away from the house or into underground piping that takes it away.

3.  Does the dirt next to your house have a NEGATIVE slope AWAY from the house for 6 to 10 feet as it should ?  Most houses do not or, if so, do not have negative grade slope away from the house on ALL SIDES of the house.

4.  Are there any gaps or unsealed cracks ANYWHERE on the exterior of your home ?   There shouldn't be.  Also, heavily wind blown rain can move 2 inches VERTICALLY on your house siding.

5.  Did any water or ponding appear during the rain in your crawl space, lower ( sub grade ) level, or basement ?  This is not uncommon during heavy rains,  because water moves by capillary action to any sub grade areas.   Directing rain water well away from the structure with  1)  proper gutter discharge  2) negative ground slope of your lot so water is directed away from the foundation,  and     3) general grading of your lot so water is directed away from the house are the important preventative measures.

Always,  the question to ask is:   " WHERE DOES THE WATER WANT TO GO ?

HouseMaster Home Inspection

(800)805-1122