nibbles200 t1_iui7jfu wrote on October 31, 2022 at 3:03 PM

Reply to comment by olympiamow in Wet spot and crack in foundation after heavy rain by madstar

I recently bought a house and it’s clear they have had water issues in the basement for years. They tried sealant products on the block foundation which clearly didn’t work. I very quickly identified the problem the first time it rained and all the gutters overflowed and I noticed the land sunk towards the house over the years with the water piling up against the house.

I went to clean the gutters and found they were filled solid with silt and I had to replace the down spouts because they were rock hard filled. I corrected the slope and redid the landscaping. No more standing water and the water runs away from the house at the surface.

Haven’t had any signs of water since. Clean your gutters and get the water away from the house people.

icanteven__ t1_iuime53 wrote on October 31, 2022 at 4:44 PM

I’m a realtor and wet basements and crawl spaces poss me off, especially when a sump pump is installed to deal with excess water.

Here in the South and we get heavy rains (enough to cause flash flooding) and IMO the only correct way to protect your house is exactly what you described: take the top down approach and correct all conditions that allow water to pool. We have clay soil so that often means once you get the gutters sorted out you probably find you need drains of some sort but it’s a cheap fix compared to the damage water can do to a house over time.

I preach and preach this to my buyers and most do listen. I call myself the Gutter Evangelist. lol

speakhyroglyphically t1_iuil8wp wrote on October 31, 2022 at 4:36 PM

Many reasons to keep your gutters up to date