After a nice holiday break, how about making a through inspection of your home? Many of the issues we have at home can be remedied right away with a through inspection of its surroundings. Water sitting around the foundation of your home because the drainage system in your home is faulty, can be remedied by cleaning the gutters, replacing them or fixing them if damaged, and making sure the water drains away from the foundation of your home.
Tree branches that are too long are okay if there is not wind during a storm, but you do not want them damaging windows, roof or siding during a storm. Trimming all bushes that are growing too big around the foundation should be taken care of as well.
For more about this topic, follow the links below.
- Never ignore a persistent musty smell.
- Find out the cause of a wet basement before beginning any modifications to your home.
- Seek professional advice before attempting to combat a groundwater swelling problem.
5 tips to keep your home safe from nature’s tricks
All it takes is one storm to cause damage to your home. You need to make certain your house is prepared to withstand rain, wind and other possible damage.
The following are five suggestions to keep your home safe from natural damages. These are simple tips to get your house on the path to safety.
- Keep surrounding trees healthy
Unfortunately, the same trees that give you shade during a sunny day can give you damage on a stormy one. Make sure your trees are healthy and appropriately pruned. You may want to consider removing the tree if it is dead or too close to the house without a good root system.
A little maintenance and upkeep now may save you from a tree or branch falling on your home later.
Remember to always be careful when trimming your trees. Better Homes and Gardens points out, “Trimming branches that threaten power lines avoids serious problems, but leave this task to the pros. Large dead or dangling branches should be removed, as well as branches that could interfere with vehicles or lawn mowers. Branches that contact the house on windy days should be cut before they cause damage.”
House Works: Drying basements with dimpled membrane and wet wood with fans
Dimpled Drainage Membrane Really Works
Q: Is dimpled drainage membrane worth putting around a basement wall? We’re installing weeping tiles this year to make a wet basement dry, but the contractor doesn’t want to use dimpled membrane. He says they only use it in southern areas because they put sand around basements. He wants to use gravel only. Does this make sense?
A: The short answer is “no”, this advice doesn’t make sense. It always amazes me how some contractors can latch onto ideas that have no merit in reality. They’ll usually say something like “I’ve been doing it this way for 25 years and never had a problem,” even though it’s difficult or impossible to thoroughly check previous jobs. The fact is, dimpled drainage membrane offers a huge advantage for keeping basements dry no matter where a person builds. I’ve seen it cure wet basements everywhere.
