J.D. Potié
SHAWVILLE April 15, 2019
It’s that time of year again. The snow’s melting, everything’s wet and dirty and the only thing we want to do is forget about that old man Winter.
But now, there’s something else to worry about.
With so much water building up around homes, from the eavestroughs to the perimeter of foundations, properties become very susceptible to leaks and water damage this time of year.
To prevent this phenomenon from occurring on your property, here are two tips from an expert in the field of construction.
According to Shawville contractor Mickey McGuire, one of the most important steps towards preventing leaks from occurring is installing a pipe on your eavestroughs to direct the water away from the foundation. He also mentioned to clean eavestrough’s downpipes to facilitate water flow.
Another important initiative is to make sure that the ground around the home is sloped away from the building by putting down topsoil. Certain high-quality topsoil can prevent the water from leaking into the foundation of the home, McGuire said.
“With the soil higher around the house, it ensures that water drains away from it and not towards it,” he said. “This is something you can easily address. And proper grading of your topsoil is also important.”
Basements are the most vulnerable areas of the majority of homes when it comes to leaks and water damage, especially in damp areas, McGuire said.
But he emphasized that every situation is different and can’t always be addressed the exact same way.
For the most part, leaks can be simple fixes for anyone with a certain knowledge of construction and don’t necessarily require assistance from professionals, McGuire said.
“Most of these things, a handy person can handle,” he said. “Like adding a downpipe to your eavestrough or adding topsoil around the foundation and raking it out.”
But, in all cases, if left unattended they can lead to long term damage to the property, which can be quite costly and sometimes corrosive to health.
“With mold, health related issues can be a result,” said McGuire. “If you have mold in the basement, this is not good for you.”
Signs of water damage can be detected by water running down the walls and wooden panels in the foundation, McGuire said.
