Poor Water management in Pittsburgh PA

 
As a Pittsburgh Home Inspector a common issue I find on Home Inspections around Pittsburgh, PA is poor water management.  This can range from a downspout draining against the house or the yard sloping toward the house or a leaking gutter. These issues can lead to moisture issues in a basement on boxes or personal belonging stored on the floors of the basement. Water draining against a home over an extended period of time can also cause excessive foundation settlement issues and even bowing foundation walls. All of these costly repairs are usually a result of a simple fix or repair that goes unnoticed or ignored.

Look around the outside of your house and check if there is low spots in the ground around your house. If there are you could add dirt to build up the ground to slope away from the house. If this is not feasible there is always an option of digging a swale or even installing a French Drainage System. Check your gutters and downspouts for signs of leaks.

Check where the downspouts drain. Are they draining to close to the house? If so you can add/ install extension pieces to direct the water safely away from the house. It is always a good idea to take 15- 20 minutes to walk around your house at the beginning/ end of every season to look for any issue that needs attention and repaired. Doing this simple task can potentially save you the headache of costly repairs in the future.