Inspecting The Drainage
Arranging a home inspection prior to buying that particular home is an important aspect of home purchase. There are various types of home inspections, and not the least checking for water damage to the home’s exterior. It is important to have the complete inspection of the drainage system. A drainage system that was faulty could have caused damage to foundations and the basement of the house, and at times, the damage could be irreparable. Improper drainage could cause the water from the drain flow down to the foundations of the house.
The inspector appointed by you to inspect the drainage of your prospective home will start the inspection by first checking the level of the home, vis-à-vis the street level. If the level of the home is lower than that of the street, the water has every chance to flow in. The water from your drain, in such an instance, will not be efficiently flowing out into the municipal drainage system – rather the opposite may be happening, causing extensive damage.
To correct this by installing backflow valves or standpipes, to prevent backflow from the municipal sewage lines, may cost you a bundle, not to talk of repairing the damage already done.
Inspect For Blockages
When doing an external inspection, you or your home inspector can look for the presence of any standing water. Its presence is the evidence of improper surface drainage, in addition to improper surface grading. Proper grading requires the ground around the exterior of the home sloping away from the walls. There may be a need to pave the area where there is standing water.
Part of inspection includes checking for mold and mildew. Evidence of mold and mildew on the walls of the home is evidence of blockage of gutter drainpipes. Blockage of gutters can cause water from the drainpipes to overflow, causing extensive damage to the home’s exterior. This could be due to the presence of twigs, dry leaves, and other debris. This presence in the drains at the ground level could also cause blockage, adding to further water damage.
Such evidence proves that the current owner of the property, the seller, had been negligent towards the maintenance of his home, and is more the reason for you to have proper inspections of the drainage and other things, before you arrive at any decision. Do not take these things lightly, as repairing, them after you have purchased the home could be quite expensive.
A Word Of Caution
If the home you are considering is near the shore, or a river or lake, make a point to learn about the base flood elevation (BFE) of the area. If the home is in the zones referred to as ‘V’ zone or the ‘A’ zone – that is, near the shore, or a river or a lake – check to see whether the lowest level of the home is above the BFE of the area. If it is not, then check whether the seller has used water resistant materials to avoid damage to the exterior of the home.
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