Most homeowners look at a home as an investment. As a home inspector, I look at a home a little differently. Properly maintenance goes a long way toward protecting that investment or value and providing you the best possible comfort level you can afford.
The most common issue I find when doing a home inspection is related to the control of moisture around the outside of the home. Grade and/or drainage control is so important. Poor or negative drainage can cause all kinds of other issues or “results.”
Mold, wood rot, settlement, concrete damage, termites, other bugs and more can all be a result of poor drainage control. If the gutters are clogged they can fill with water that cannot be controlled. Gutter fasteners are not designed to hold all that extra weight and can rust away in short order.
Water that does not run or drain away from your foundation can find its way into a crawl space, basement and even under a slab. Yes, some homeowners control moisture intrusion with a sump pump either under the home or in a pit in the basement, but wouldn’t it be better to keep the moisture out in the first place by controlling run off outside?
In the past, some homes were built on property that was either low or where the water table is high. Dealing with runoff in those areas can be almost impossible. Today the rules, as I understand, are that any new structure in our county must be built 2 feet above the road grade. That idea sounds reasonable. My home was built above the road, but is now below the road because the county restructured the road to improve its drainage. So far we have drainage ditches that provide us with the drainage we need as long as the ditches are kept clean and free flowing.
So, what can the homeowner do to maintain good drainage? Grade at the foundation is where it all starts. Grade should be at least 4 inches below the bottom line of siding, brick, stone or any other type of outside wall covering. That 4-inch minimum helps reduce possible wicking of moisture into the walls and can help reduce possible wood rot, mold and the attraction for bugs or termites.
Many homeowners add new mulch every year around their flowers and bushes. Years of added mulch reduces that minimum clearance measurement. Mulch can and will hold moisture and can also be an attraction for all kinds of unwanted bugs. Mulch dust can be sucked up into an air-conditioner compressor which can and will clog the cooling fins reducing the expected efficiency. Mulch can be very attractive, but can produce many unwanted issues.
Keep gutters clean and free flowing. Extend downspouts to lower levels of grade away from the foundation. Keep a positive grade going away from your foundation and eliminate the results of uncontrolled moisture intrusion.
Dave Huff is a longtime home inspector, and owner of Home Inspections Plus in Fortville. Send comments to [email protected].
