subject: Spring is Officially Here [print this page] Spring is Officially Here Spring is Officially Here
Spring is "officially" here, and the fast disappearance of all that snow is a sure sign. This means lots of water in the ground that you want to direct away from the foundation of your home.From the ground up... After the builder has excavated the hole for your basement, placed the footings and erected the basement walls, perforated, black weeping hose, is placed on a bed of crushed stone and covered with more crushed stone. Crushed stone is used instead of regular dirt as dirt would plug the weeping holes, making the hose useless. Before the ground is bulldozed back into the hole around your basement walls, the walls are secured by the floor joists and the framer begins to put up the walls. Without support for the walls, the pressure from the earth pushed into the hole would break down the basement walls. At the time of the basement excavation, approximately three feet of compact, non-virgin soil is removed but when it's pushed back, it's is not compacted at all. It is loose and this soil will settle, over time (10-15 years) and it may begin to direct water back towards the basement walls - grass area or patio stones. It is very important that you direct all water away from your home. Gardeners love plants and flowers, they are part of our curb appeal, but some home owners build up soil levels for flower gardens that are higher than the first course of brick (first row of bricks). Never, never, never I repeat, NEVER bring the soil up to the brick, because with our changing seasons of winter/spring/summer, moisture from the ground breaks down the face of the brick over time and your barrier for water disappears with it. You may have seen concrete steps built right up to and abutting the brick wall of a home, or where builders have put the first course of bricks surrounding a garage almost to the level of the asphalt. Water collected on the asphalt will eventually break down that brick as well. There should be a minimum of six inches between the first row of brick and the top level of earth. Take a look around the exterior of your home, at ground level. If you find your brick breaking down, you might be able to repair it yourself. Try pulling the earth away from the brick, or look into putting a clear sealer onto the first couple rows of bricks to protect them from the moisture. The sight of brick breaking away is a red flag to potential buyers and can trigger concerns about how to fix it and how much it will cost. By removing this potential concern, not only will you obtain more curb appeal but the potential buyers will have a more positive approach to your home.
welcome to Insurances.net (https://www.insurances.net)
