Keeping Weather In Mind...

Compared to the last 3 years, we have had a mild winter. Since this has resulted in less ice dams or other problems, it can have us off guard for the next bout of bad weather. 

The May flowers are brought by Spring Showers; so we need to think about it now before it is too late. High volumes of rain are unusual and can catch us off guard. I know that almost every year we have one storm that produces between 5 & 10 inches of rain over a 24 hour period. Even worse, the damage of flooding basements is usually not covered by homeowners insurance. Most water issues are caused by improper or damaged gutter systems. Over the winter, freezing, thawing and snow can cause gutters to loosen or disassemble. Make sure that the gutters have not moved away from the house and that all the down spouts ate intact. On the ground, if you have direct connection to underground drains, make sure they are not dislodged. If there is no ground drainage system, make sure that the slope of the ground is away from the house and add extensions to the downspouts to move the run-off away from the foundation. After each big rain or wind storm, check again… it may save you a great deal of aggravation and expense.