As the temps start to drop, homeowners should be transitioning to fall and early winter maintenance for their homes. Here’s some ways you can help prepare your home and foundation for winter and avoid flooding during the spring thaw.
Clean out gutters and waterspouts.
With leaves falling and most likely clogging up your gutters, it’s especially important to clean them out during the fall. If you have a lot of trees around your home, you might have to clean them out weekly to stay ahead of the build-up. Once a hard frost or the snow hits, then it’ll become harder to clean out your gutters as the debris freezes. Then, once it thaws in the spring, the gutters won’t be as effective, and you could risk flooding around your home. Also check the waterspouts to make sure they’re clear of debris and pointed away from your home.
Check the grading.
When the soil around your home settles, it creates areas for water to get trapped, saturate the soil, and then potentially enter your foundation. If you see a low spot or noticed one earlier in the year, then you most likely need corrective grading services. If a heavy rain is forecasted before the experts can get there, you can fill the low areas with soil as a short-term solution. A long-term preventative measure will be hiring foundation experts to inspect your grading and correct the areas that are considered a flood risk.
Inspect exterior doors and windows.
First, visually inspect those places from outside your home to see if you can spot areas where the caulk has been stripped away. Also look around the frame to see if it’s shifted and caused gaps that the cold air can get through. If you don’t see issues but still suspect a draft, then try putting a candle up to the door or window to see if the flame blows towards you. Then you can either choose weatherstripping or caulking to seal up the leaks.
Have an inspector come out to check your foundation.
Water intrusions, bad grading, and frames that have shifted to allow cold leaks will often be a sign that your foundation needs some repair. Our experts will check out all of these areas so we can target the problem and find solutions.
If you have seen any of these issues or would like peace of mind with your foundation, the experts at Concrete & Foundation Solutions can help. Contact us if you’d like to learn more.