Gutters and Downspouts Just about everyone knows that gutters and downspouts are the most effective way of getting rid of runoff water from your property. Unfortunately, many homeowners still neglect them.
Install gutters that are sized, shaped, and sloped appropriately for your home and the climate conditions of where you live. Keep them free of debris and dirt by cleaning them about twice a year, and check them at the same time to make sure they are free of holes or cracks that could prevent water from being eliminated. Do the same for downspouts, and make sure that water is directed well away from your property; 6 feet is ideal.
Seal Cracks Check for cracks and crumbling concrete of your home's foundation and basement walls. This is usually a good indication of water damage. Find the source of the problem, and repair the cracks as soon as possible to prevent bigger problems.
Water can also enter through improperly sealed windows and vents.
Check the Ground Around Your Home Houses are generally constructed on ground that is slightly sloped to allow water to drain away. Due to soil erosion and other such environmental factors, puddles forming in close proximity to your home could indicate that the ground is no longer sloped at a sufficient angle. This normally occurs over a period of time, making it necessary to occasionally check that water still drains from your home and downspouts properly.
If you find that the ground has become uneven over the years, allowing for water to accumulate, some soil leveling or other solution may be required. You may also want to consider planting a tree or vegetation to help eliminate the water.
As the employer of the contractor, it is your responsibility and in your best interests to be at the job site on a regular basis to ensure that the building materials that your contractor purchased to build your home with are both up to your standards and that they are handled correctly.
Your contractor should have purchased only the materials that you outlined in your contract with him or her to purchase. They should have purchased nothing more and nothing less. None of these materials, especially drywall, should be stored directly upon the ground where it comes into contact with the soil.
They should be stored on tarps or raised up off the ground in some way. This will help ensure that mold does not start to grow on them before they are used in the construction of the house.
The building site should also be covered with tarps before it rains until the roof and walls are put up to protect the interior of the structure so mold does not occur.
Before you hired your contractor, you should have obtained references from him or her to determine the quality of their craftsmanship. This is something that you should do when hiring anyone to do almost anything for you concerning an investment such as your home. You should ask the references whether they have had any problems with mold or water damage since their home was built and if it was due to bad construction or not. As long as your contractor is known for good building practices, you should have no problem with the way that he treats the building materials for your house.
It is unfortunate that you cannot be at the site of your home's new construction all the time, but the more you are able to check on the progress of your home's construction, the better. You should have a mold inspector come and inspect the property at least twice, once during the middle of the construction and again once it is completed to determine that there is no mold growing in the home. .
Both Jason Brown & Jim Corkern are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
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