What do you think enemy number 1 is when it comes to home care? Home Inspectors across the nation name water as a home owner’s primary concern. Water damage to the structure is the most pervasive and costly, causing foundation problems, rotting and of course, growth of the dreaded mold. As you excitedly head out the door in search of your dream home, keep in mind the following to ensure you make the right choice.

SEARCHING FOR YOUR PERFECT HOUSE

From street level, look at the grading of the area immediately surrounding the house. It’s best the ground slopes away from the structure so that ground-water drains to the perimeter, preventing water intrusion. If the drainage of the property is pitched towards the home, it can lead to wet or damp crawl spaces, movement in the foundations and cracking or bowing walls.

In some cases, installing roof gutters and downspouts can be added to rectify site drainage problems. Note that the downspouts must divert the rain water away from the foundation by at least ten feet on a downward slope.

Keep an eye out for the clear exterior indicators of drainage problems, namely any ‘pooling’ water around the home or any muddy areas on the house’s direct periphery where plants and grass are having a tough time growing.

In fact, in some foreign countries, protecting foundations from water damage is so important that building laws include laying a 7-foot-wide brick pavement around the entirety of the house to ensure no seepage to foundation level, and aesthetically ensuring zero splash back of dirt-droplets onto walls when it rains.

Inspect the roof of your potential dream home. Not that you can arrive with a tall ladder, but a pair of binoculars might do the trick. Any worn zones will require further investigation from a bird’s eye-level by your Home Inspector. Any signs of previous substandard repairs should be a warning sign that water may have been leaking inside this home.

The big red flag with foundation problems is that these problems never magically fix themselves. They just get worse with time, costing more and more to fix the longer they are left untreated. And really, who wants to buy a house with foundation problems? Certainly not you!

Contact the Fortress Foundation Solutions experts in Check and the surrounding areas for assistance in protecting your dream home from water, structural, or settlement damage. Call 1-800-638-7048 today for a FREE estimate!