Water Can Kill a House

I see it all the time. The evidence of water damage to homes. Weakened foundations, rot, mold in crawlspaces, cracks in foundations, etc.

I was just reading an article in This Old House magazine (which I highly recommend) about ways to handle water runoff and make it look good. Their suggestion of making a ditch look like a stone creekbed isn't for every home, but even minor repairs can sometimes keep water from running into your crawlspace undetected.



I'm not an expert on this. After all, I'm just a Realtor,right? However, I go to all my buyer's home inspections and I've got the best inspector in town- he is very instructional and wildly informed on everything in your home. Nearly every home inspection includes some kind of note regarding water entry or the need for better runoff.

Here are a couple real life situations that I saw just recently:

CASE 1: I had some buyer's that fell in love with a house built in 2005. It was a beautiful brick home in a nice subdivision near Brentwood. The inspections were going well with no unexpected issues until we finally got to the crawlspace. Here it was discovered that water was regularly draining in and there was quite a bit of fungal growth present. Yikes!! [THIS is why you ALWAYS do a home inspection when purchasing a home] The inspector thought that perhaps the homes were so close that there was nowhere for the water to run, so it was going into the crawlspace.

CASE 2: Another buyer of mine had a contract on a lovely home out west of Nashville toward Percy Warner Park. Again, things were going reasonably well at the home inspection until the inspector came out of the crawlspace and mentioned something about a "swimming pool" and mold. Apparently, an addition on the back of the home was too far below grade and water was congregating under that section of the house. Once again, my fearless inspector saved my clients a huge headache down the road.

Since then, both of these clients have found other homes.

Anyway, here are some maintenance tips that I've accumulated:

1. Clean your gutters- Clogged gutters may lead to rotted eaves or standing water next to your foundation.

2. Add some gutter extensions, not just a rock under the downspout- You want to lead water as far as possible away from your home. My inspector always says at least 10 feet.

3. Make sure your drainage pipes are not clogged- Many homes are built where the downspouts direct water into black corrugated pipe that deposits water away from the home. This looks nice, but make sure that this pipe does not get crushed or otherwise blocked.

4. Landscape so that water runs away from the home- Okay, this may be obvious, but so often I see homes with landscape beds that tend to collect water next to the home. We also have many homes built on hills where water is practically directed right toward the home. If grading isn't enough then a French drain may be needed to get the water away.

Don't be afraid. If you're looking to purchase a home and have a quality home inspector, these types of issues should be found out. If you haven't found a Realtor to guide you through the process, then call me today.

-Peter

www.NashvilleCityHomes.com
REALTOR. City Home Specialist.