I get seepage in my basement with every rain of 1 inch or more. Twice, since moving in I have stayed up all night, with a shop-vac in hand, trying to keep water from working its way to the finished side of my basement. Any forecast of rain causes great anxiety. My research shows I could use a French drain.
Last year we had record snow falls in February and March. In one 6-week time period I raked my roof 8 times. My garage roof at one point had 3 feet of snow on it and we had a forecast for rain. I was tempted to leave it, it would be nice to have a new garage, but I raked it anyway.
Even having raked my roof on the house, I still had water damage on the living room ceiling. It wasn’t that bad and only took a few days to repair and paint but man, I don’t like letting winter win! At 4:00 am I am chanting this rhyme in a state of semi sleep. My wife and I bought our home 2 years ago. Since then we have had 2 modest size rain storms and we have gotten significant water in our basement. The previous owner did disclose by saying, “we experience some water in the basement during heavy rain falls”. It should have read, “We experience some water in the basement during heavy rain falls and you’re going to have to stay up all night with a shop vac and remove over 150 gallons of water to protect the finished half of the basement”.
It happens to us all, we expect it and we accept it. Not so true when it comes to our roofs however. The first day I take buyers to view a property, I talk about what to look for structurally and mechanically. At least 40% of roofs are showing signs age.
As a Realtor I keep a list of qualified trades people that I gladly share with my clients. Here’s a problem that only seems to be getting worse. Many of my guys are retiring and not enough young men and women are going into the trades to replace them.
In the movie “A Christmas Story” Ralph gets his favorite toy, the Red Rider bb gun. His mother’s last words before he goes outside is “don’t shoot your eye out”! Of course his first shot ricochets around the back yard finally striking the huge icicle hanging from the roof causing it to break , hitting Ralph scratching his face and breaking his glasses! I love that movie. I don’t love huge hanging icicles!
Anyone who has been broken into will tell you there is a sense of being violated. How a person can be so callous and brazen is beyond me. Yet it happens all the time. You are never going to stop a determined thief, but you can help them realize there may be better opportunities somewhere else.
Those cooler temps are on their way in and the trees are filling with color. It's a great time to spend outside, taking in the fresh air and preparing your home for winter. Last month we reviewed things you can do to prepare the interior of your home for the colder temps. Here are a few things to consider for the exterior of your home before the freezing temps move in:
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