Caring For Your Home

proper grading around house

The simplest and most effective way to maintain your Massachusetts home is to prevent unwanted moisture from entering both the exterior and interior. Focus on keeping moisture away from the foundation, and siding. To achieve this, avoid watering near the foundation and refrain from planting high-water-use vegetation next to the home. High-water-use plants often include large, tropical varieties or those with abundant foliage and flowers. Additionally, I recommend regular inspections and maintenance of your roof, gutters, exterior walls, foundation, and any attached structural or mechanical components. Be sure to monitor interior walls and floors beneath upper stories for any signs of moisture intrusion.

WHAT IS REGULAR MONITORING AND MAINTENANCE OF HOME?

Owning a home in Massachusetts comes with its challenges, and unexpected issues will inevitably arise that may require financial investment to resolve. However, proactive preventive maintenance is always a wiser approach than costly, after-the-fact repairs.

Throughout your inspection report, you’ll find specific recommendations for homeowner monitoring and maintenance. These suggestions are essential because neglecting regular upkeep can lead to problems over time. Some tasks require more frequent attention than others:

• Daily: Check plumbing fixtures, inspect basements for moisture, and monitor any signs of leaks.

• Monthly: Test GFCI outlets, clean all vents, and inspect HVAC filters.

• Annually: Schedule roof inspections, service your water heater, clean your fireplace and flue, and ensure gas appliances are in safe working order.

Your home is a significant investment. Taking the time to care for it, or hiring qualified service professionals to manage routine maintenance, will help preserve its value and ensure your long-term comfort and safety.

GRADING AND DRAINAGE - Protecting Your Home from Moisture Damage

Grading and drainage are among the most critical aspects of any property due to the significant damage moisture can cause to structures. In fact, moisture-related damage and expansive soils have likely caused more property destruction than most natural disasters. That’s why I pay particular attention to grading and drainage when evaluating properties.

An ideal property has soil that slopes away from the house, not level or sloping towards the home, and the interior floors should be several inches higher than the exterior grade. Additionally, well-maintained gutters and downspouts should discharge into area drains with catch basins that carry water away to hard surfaces.

Without gutters, rainwater flows directly toward the foundation’s weeping tile system, which can quickly become overwhelmed, leading to basement flooding. Compounding the problem, the land around many homes settles over time, often causing it to slope toward the foundation. If your grading slopes towards your home, it’s essential to fill in and regrade the lot to ensure that the soil slopes away from the house for at least six feet around the entire foundation.

If a property doesn’t meet these ideal conditions, or if any part of the interior floor is below grade, I cannot endorse it — even if there are no visible signs of moisture intrusion. During rainy inspections, I’ve identified moisture problems that otherwise would have gone undetected.

To protect your home, I recommend consulting with a grading and drainage contractor. For further guidance, visit Maintaining Your Foundation for detailed information on achieving and maintaining proper exterior conditions.

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I recently accompanied David Valley during his inspection of the house my son was buying. Having purchased a number of houses during my lifetime, I considered myself very knowledgeable and thorough. However, he surpassed me greatly, picking up on important details I would have missed. He frequently suggested ways on how something could be fixed or improved. He displayed broad knowledge of house structure, heating and cooling system, plumbing, electrical, etc. David is the best home inspector I have ever employed and I recommend him implicitly. Thank you for a great home inspection.

Sincerely yours,

Hartmut S.