Rain, rain go away.....

Yes, I know we've had a couple of nice days but now more rain is on the way. UGH! I'm ready to chase squirrels, the neighbor's cats and all the ducks in my backyard!

My mom has been showing many homes with water in the basements and is ready for this rain to quit too.

It got me to thinking though. A lot of times, water in basements can be prevented with just a few simple 'fixes'.

Start by sloping the ground away from the outside foundation (should be about one inch per foot). Extend the slope for at least ten feet. Seed it with a good lawn grass. Sodding is a common practice and prevents the washing away of newly graded areas during heavy rains. Where a large area of land slopes toward the house, surface drainage should be intercepted and rerouted some distance from the house. Dig a shallow, half-round drainage ditch or depression designed to route the water around the house. Sod the ditch or plant grass in it. If even a shallow ditch is objectionable, drainage tiles, with one or more catch basins at low spots, may be installed.

Next you can install gutters and downspout's wherever needed. Keep them free of debris. Where leaves and twigs from nearby trees may collect in a gutter, install a basket-shaped wire strainer over the downspout outlet or place screening across the length of the gutter. Repair gutters and downspout's as soon as the need appears. To prevent concentration of water at the point of discharge, use a concrete gutter or splash block to carry the water away at a slope of one inch per foot. Roof water can also be piped underground to a storm drain, dry well, or surface outlet fifteen feet or more from the house.

Trim heavy growths of shrubbery so that soil gets more sunlight and dries quicker. When digging up the plantings, remove any pieces of masonry, mortar, or other waste material buried near the house after the basement was excavated.

Windows or parts of windows below grade should be protected by metal or masonry window wells, with bottoms consisting of gravel to permit good drainage. Clear plastic bubbles are available to cover the entire window well like an awning.

Lastly, you can apply waterproofing paint the the basement walls.

Start by doing these simple things and I bet it will solve a lot problems. Here comes more rain....