If you’ve begun to notice water stains on the walls or a moldy smell in the basement, you’re already well on your way to needing costly repairs and possibly some even more expensive replacements, whether that means replacing the things you store downstairs, the drywall and insulation, or in the worst case, the foundation itself. Continue reading →
One of the worst things that can happen to a basement is flooding, especially if the water level gets very high. It’s an incredibly damaging process for a home, and, if severe enough, can affect everything from the appliances in the basement to the fuse box that controls the electricity in the home. But what causes a basement to flood in the first place? Continue reading →
Some homes have crawl spaces built into the roof, or usually under the floor. These are areas that have been constructed to allow access to electrical wiring, insulation, or plumbing that aren’t actually useable as rooms like the rest of the home. Still, they serve an important function in terms of accessibility for important repairs, so they’re a useful addition to a home depending on how it’s built. But that also means that you should ensure that the crawlspace has the same kind of protection as the rest of your home, especially when it comes to water damage. Continue reading →
Within the United States, hurricanes are most associated with Florida and the Gulf Coast, and it’s in these areas that construction companies and government agencies do their best to prepare for the worst. However, as Hurricane Sandy so recently and dramatically proved, the rest of the East Coast is not safe from the heavy rainfall and devastating winds of a tropical cyclone. Continue reading →
Water is one of the great mechanisms of change in the world. Water can carve massive canyons out of solid rock, and it can drop loads of sediment that fill in valleys and expand deltas. Plants and animals thrive in the presence of water, and without it you’re left with nothing but an empty desert. Continue reading →
If you live on the East Coast, it rains a lot. Some years it rains more than others, but thanks to the Atlantic Ocean we’re never too short on water. Continue reading →
One of the worst scenarios for a water damage is a flooded basement, but one of the worst ways that a basement can flood is through sewer lines. This happens when heavy rains or any other form of excessive water overwhelms a sewage system, and rather than flowing safely away from homes, the sewer, over its own capacity, starts forcing water out any way it can, including back out into homes. Continue reading →
More so than any other insect, termites are a bane to the homeowner. While other infestations like ants and cockroaches are an unsightly and unwanted addition to any house, these pests mainly eat the same sorts of food as humans and do minimal damage to the building. On the other hand, termites consume the very walls themselves. Continue reading →
The basement drain has been a standard feature in virtually every basement for a very long time. They are a last line of defense against water getting into your house, but your entire floor would likely have to get wet before your drain will carry anything away. As such, even if your basement drain is working properly, it may be a good idea to install a sump pump, assuming your house doesn’t already have one. Continue reading →
Having a garden around your home takes work, but the results always bring out the best in a house. If you have a green thumb, this can be an especially gratifying activity, but in raising garden around the house, you should take care not to have the plants set too close to the home itself. It may not seem like it, but over the years, plants can have a negative effect on the foundation of your home, eventually leading to possible water damage. Continue reading →
