Home Maintenance

Some basic home maintenance can help prevent water intrusion into your home.

EXTERIOR
Managing Storm Water
Managing storm water requires a bit of home maintenance. It is important to keep a positive grade around your house, keep your eaves troughs clean and in good working order and ensure down spouts are installed and draining away from the house. During periods of rain, these measures can help direct water away from your house, towards the storm sewer.

Window Wells
Window wells are installed on all below-grade windows. They ensure that the surrounding soil does not slough in against the window. They do not however stop water so it is important that they are properly drained down into the weeping tile. Drains can be installed in existing window wells however it is important to note that if the existing weeping tile is non-functioning, or in some cases non-existent, the water collected in the drain will not have a path to disperse and could potentially back-up. To help ensure proper drainage, it is also important to keep the window well free of debris (leaves, newspapers etc.).

Sump Discharge Hose
If your home has a long sump pump discharge hose, it is important to remove the hose when there is a chance of freezing temperatures, and keep it off throughout the winter. This prevents water from freezing in the hose and plugging off the water path, which in turn can cause the sump pump to burn out as it continually tries to pump out water.

INTERIOR
Sump-pump
It is important to check your sump-pump twice a year. To help you remember, add it to your spring maintenance tasks and again during fall cleanup. To ensure the pump is working correctly, remove the cover and fill the basin with water. Once the water reaches the level required to engage the pump (usually over top of the pump) the pump will “kick” on, emptying the sump basin. If this does not happen, check your power source. If your power source checks out and the pump still doesn’t engage, you may need to replace your pump.