Home Inspectors Tips
This section is to help home owners with maintenance issues that are commonly found during my inspections. Normally problems on a house can be easily avoided by taking some preventative measures. Hopefully this section will be useful to you. If you have any suggestions or ideas for this page please contact me at [email protected]
Winter Tips
Closing Foundation Vents
It is very important during the winter months to close all foundation vents to prevent pipes from freezing and to make your house more efficient
Removal of Organic Debris from the roof
Removing leaves and branches from the roof is important for the roof to be able to drain properly and prevent moisture damage to the attic areas
Cleaning Gutters
Cleaning out the gutters after the leaves have dropped in the fall is necessary for the gutters to drain properly. If the gutters are not draining properly it can cause the gutters to pull away from the house or for water to freeze and cause ice dams on the roof.
Grading
Adjusting the grading around the perimeter of the house is crucial in preventing moisture damage to the structure. There should be a consistent slope running away from the house to prevent standing water and moisture intrusion into the crawlspace. This is very important around gutter downspouts. Downspout extensions can be one easy way to prevent damage and moisture issues next to the foundation. Another easy solution is to add foundation vent wells where the soil grading is high next to the foundation vents
Early Spring Vegetation Trimming:
While it is always a good time to stay on top of vegetation around the house early spring is one of the best. Early Spring is good because the weather is warming up and the trees and bushes haven’t grown all of their leaves. This allows you better access to the plants and the clean up will be much less than if you wait until after all of their foliage is on.
Why is it important to keep vegetion away from the house?
Vegetation that is within 18 inches of the structure can cause problems by abraiding siding, paint, windows and screens. Vegetation also allows a path for wood destroying insects. Another problem is the moisture the plants trap or redirect toward the structure. Roots from these plants also create problems with the foundation walls and vents. Along with trimming the bushes/trees it is important to remove all organic debris along the foundation wall. Organic material that builds up at the base of the plants also causes drainage and grading problems alowing water to run towards the house instead of away.
Open Foundation Vents:
Spring is also a good time to walk the perimeter of your house and open up the foundation vents. Most vents can be easily opened from the outside. Some times vents get damaged and you will need to go down in the crawl space to get them to open properly. Many times spring runoff causes some moisture to be present in the crawl space. Opening the vents allows areas in the crawl space to dry out.
