We’ve had a wet summer – and a wet fall. and when seasons are wet we hear a lot of complaints about wet basements. Customers always call after a heavy downpour. Even if your basement is totally dry with no signs of water intrusion, you must have proper maintenance of grading, gutters and downspouts. There are several things we regularly tell homebuyers, so here’s a reminder to help avoid wet basements and things you can do as you’re winterizing your home.
- Clean your gutters! Plugged, overflowing gutters and lack of downspout extensions cause problems. Exterior maintenance has to occur regularly.
- Check your grading. If the soil surface is not sloped away from the foundation at least 1/2 inch per foot for about six feet, you can have problems. Concrete must also be sloped away from the foundation about 1/4 inch per foot.
- Check your window wells. Are they high enough? Soil around the window well must slope away from the foundation. The bottom of the window well should be filled with 6-20 inches of free-draining gravel–not weeds and dirt.
- Lastly, regularly check your sump pump to be sure it’s functioning properly.