I was asked by a friend of mine last night, "Why don't you
post repair tips on your blog? I love reading them." I told him I wanted to
focus on real estate issues more than home repair. He told me he thinks home
repair issues are real estate "issues". Maybe he's right?
Well, here I go! This is about a simple, maybe not so easy, repair/maintenance
you can do to prevent basement flooding and water damage to your home. CLEAN
YOUR GUTTERS AND DOWNSPOUTS.
I know it seems simple enough to clean them out but, seriously,
a lot of people don't. For the most part, it's not that easy. It requires
climbing a ladder and heights, the two things that people don't like or are
scared to do.
It has to be done. Cleaning your gutters will ensure rain
water will flow off the roof and not into your house. I've seen houses that
will get water in the basement after it rains, simply because the gutters
plugged. You also need to make sure your downspouts are clear too. It doesn't
take much time before our little friend the chipmunk builds a nests in them
which further clogs them up. A clean gutter and downspout makes it very
difficult for our furry friend to build a home. While cleaning your gutters,
you should check to see how far the downspouts push the water away from the
foundation. If they just drop all the water against the foundation, it's going
to eventually find its way in to the house. To help move the water away from
the house, add downspout extenders. They help channel the rain water away from the
foundation. Downspout extenders are very affordable, easy to install, and come
in all sorts of sizes, style and length to fit any job.
Sometime you need a little more than an extender to help channel
the water away from the house; you may need to grade the land around your house
so there is a slight slope. This naturally will channel water flow away.
Rain water mitigation will reduce the likelihood of basement
flooding. Water problems are big hot buttons in real estate and it can cost a
home owner, not only in repairs, but also in equity. Homes with water issues loose
value and have an increased market time. If you can fix a water problem, it's
worth it for many reasons. Basements are becoming new living spaces and having
a home with a new space or the potential to have a new space constructed will
increase saleability and overall value.
Tags:
Waltham real estate , Moody , gutter , area
Kenneth Brown
