Preparing Your Home for Spring Rains

Whether your basement has never leaked, occasionally leaks or always leaks… there may be a few things you can do to help protect your home against water intrusion.

Roof

Check your home’s roof each spring to look for missing shingles, broken seals or other damage which may have occurred during the winter months. A quick inspection will not only provide you with peace of mind but finding a problem now may save you a lot of time and hassle in the future!

Eavestroughs

The purpose of eavestroughs is to collect rainwater from the roof and direct it away from your home. A build-up of debris in eaves may result in water penetrating into your roof, attic and even in your home’s walls. They should be cleaned twice a year and the joint seals inspected as well.

Downspouts

Downspouts direct the water collected from the eaves and ideally divert the water 3 to 4 feet away from your home’s foundation. When downspouts do not direct the run-off water from your roof properly, there is a greater chance that this water will seep in through the foundation and may result in dangerous hydrostatic pressure.  

Grading

Working with eaves and downspouts, the grading around your home’s foundation is another critical element to a dry basement. It’s recommended that you have a minimum of 5 degrees of slope from where the ground meets your home’s foundation. Six feet away from the foundation, the ground should be at least 3 inches lower. Over time the grading around a home can change, so it is important to inspect the grading around your home on a yearly basis.

Sump pumps

There are four important factors to note when it comes to sump pumps:

• The average lifespan of a sump pump is 8 to 10 years… if you can’t remember updating your sump pump, then now is a perfect time.

• The pump needs to be powerful enough to move all the water out from around and under your home… all the time.

• A backup pump will protect your basement in the event of a power failure - a fairly common occurrence during a heavy spring storm.

• The only time you'll know your sump pump has failed is when there is water in your basement! Yearly, proactive maintenance will find problems before they find you.

Call the experts

Can you imagine never worrying about your basement leaking again? Trust us, it’s a great feeling! If you’d like to schedule your complimentary inspection and estimate, please click here to submit your information online or give us a call: 1-800-638-7048