Water 0, Home Owners 1

~ Laura

In this part of the country, keeping water out of the house is a constant battle. Our particular house is built on a former swamp and abuts a stream that is constantly spilling its banks. We need to do a series of home repairs that are all related to keeping the water away – gutters, roof, retaining wall. This summer we decided to deal with one project – the evil back patio.

The previous owners had put in a concrete slab out the back door. It wasn’t big enough for a table, but it used up a lot of space in a tiny backyard. Beyond the esthetic issues, it was put in really badly. It was crumbling. And it funnelled water into the corner of the house, instead of away from the house. Shingles were rotting and there was some concern about the constant water flow against the foundation of the house. The underground tubes leading out of the gutters were completely clogged with dirt, like a fat man’s arteries.

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So… out it comes.

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In two days, we should have a nice place to eat outside and a water-free foundation.

Published by Laura

5 thoughts on “Water 0, Home Owners 1”

  2. Good luck! We’re built on the highest ground in our neighbourhood but right into the hillside on which our house stands so we have to be vigilant in ensuring that water drains away instead of in. Entropy is not on our side.

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  3. Just last week, my brother-in-law was saying the same kinds of things to my dad in a successful attempt to get him to not put a concrete slab against the house as a way to deal with the mud caused by poor drainage. Instead, I cleaned the gutter after noticing that birds were using it as a bath. So much liquified bird feces at the bottom.

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  5. One set of my neighbors discovered termites (or possibly carpenter ants) after buying their house. A second set of prospective neighbors has just discovered carpenter ants in the home they are buying. I would like to think that we don’t have them…As per our home inspector’s recommendations, we’re planning to eradicate all of the vegetation within about two feet of the house (one foot is good enough, but I’d like to nuke it from orbit). So much for the ivy picturesquely creeping up the walls.

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