Avoiding Flooding
I inspected a building this afternoon.
The basement was a soggy, moldy mess due to water intrusion.
I wasn't surprised. Even a cursory look at the landscape grading showed it drained directly into the foundation.
And the downspouts discharged improperly. Only one accordion extension was actually attached (see below for the best downspout)... the others weren't even on anymore. I guess whoever mowed the lawn didn't bother to re-attach them.
Also in the words of Mike Holmes, "unacceptable."
This extension terminates about 12 inches before the parking lot, then slopes right into the building.
Water is one of the most savage forces on a building or house. The grading should move water away from the building, not right into it. And downspout extensions won't do a bit of good if they don't actually move water away.
A little foresight and standard maintenance could have saved a moldy, leaky basement wall and a big price tag for some contractor to fix the mess.
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