My roof guy called me out at a neighborhood BBQ and I'm glad he did

Last month at a cookout on W 54th, my roofer pointed at my gutters and said 'you're killing your siding with those downspouts'. Turns out water was pooling against the foundation for like 2 years, I never noticed. I had him reroute the downspouts away from the house and add extensions, cost me about $400 but the basement smells a lot better now. Has anyone else had a contractor spot something obvious that you totally missed?

2 comments

2 Comments

grantw323d ago

That "water pooling against the foundation" part is exactly what got me a few years back. Same deal, a guy doing some work next door pointed it out before I ever thought to look. I ended up digging a small trench and putting in a French drain myself, but the downspout extensions are a good first step. Check the grading around your house too, if the ground slopes toward the foundation that's half the problem. A lot of folks don't realize water damage shows up slowly, so it's easy to miss until the basement starts smelling like a wet dog.

vera5143d ago

Ever think about checking the gutters too? If they're clogged or dumping water right next to the house, that'll undo all your grading work in one good rain.