Drainage

A Dry Idea: Use splash blocks beneath downspouts to move water away from your house. These concrete blocks are readily available at most hardware stores.

□ Without proper drainage moving water away from the foundation, water can seep into your basement or crawlspace and create a number of problems. Check that the perimeter ground slopes away from the foundation.

□ Inspect the outdoor deck connection to the house. This is major source of water intrusion that often goes unnoticed. This connection should be flashed and have sufficient space between the ledger board and the deck boards to allow drainage away from the house.

□ Call a landscaper or a weatherproofing firm if you can't figure out how to move water away from your house. One of the keys to drainage is having soil that doesn't absorb moisture. If the soil around the foundation is expansive (a clay that absorbs moisture), replace it with backfill material consisting of soils or gravels that do not expand when wet.

□ Inspect drainage during a heavy rain to observe the water path from the house.