One of the biggest responsibilities a homeowner has is protecting their home. While most property owners will interpret protection as a good security system, there are things that can cause more monetary damage than even unwelcome intruders. One of the biggest culprits is damage caused by accumulated water in or outside the home. What can start off as a cause of nasty odors can lead to some serious financial damage.
Water can cause incredible damage inside your home. There are countless stories of property owners dealing with rots, flooded basements and cracks in their ceiling. Without the proper property drainage system outside the home, yards can become so drenched that the entire appearance of landscaping efforts can be ruined. In order to protect my property, I used a blend of paid services and hard work.
The first major storm after I moved into my home brought water into my basement, and thrashed my front and backyard. Knowing the financial risks that come with a flooded basement, I took off from work and cleaned up the mess; I then looked to prevent the damage from ever happening again. What I found was that my gutters were pointed directly down towards the perimeter of my home. This was causing my yard to become over saturated, and my basement to collect water. Fortunately, my neighbors had experienced the same problems in years past. They informed me that I could invest in downspouts. Downspouts direct all of the water in the gutters to a catch basin that moves the water more than ten feet from the home. Of course, before installing a downspout, you should ensure your gutters are clean of sticks and other debris.
My next concern was my lawn. I had no idea how to keep it from oversaturating after every storm. I knew the first snow storm of the winter was only months away and had to act fast. My research showed me that plenty of property owners invest in property drainage devices that go directly into the soil. The heavily saturated areas receive a drain and these drains direct the water into an area that is able to drain the water properly. With just two steps, I’ll never have to worry about water damage that could have been prevented with some due diligence. Now, all I have to do is find a local youngster with a passion for shoveling out my driveway before winter gets here.
My name is Andrew Schetter and I am a recent homeowner and avid writer. Strong summer thunderstorms led to water accumulating in and outside my home. I researched tips to help with property drainage and took two important steps that I think can help you too. To learn more, follow me on Google+.
