With Georgia’s winter breaking like it is, the snow is melting and the rain has started to flow. Maybe you head down to your basement and notice a smell you haven’t noticed before. Maybe a little peeling paint and some cracking you didn’t see before. Maybe some dampness or something you’ve even moved is wet.
These are some early warning signs that let you know that something definitely needs to be looked at. You have probably been effected by the winter weather or the spring rains and something is probably wrong. Water isn’t typically the first sign you’re going to see.
First you may notice more of the pealing paints, white powder, staining, and cracking. These are the things that are going to let you know there is something going on long before you have to worry about water doing damage to the home.
There are many different things Georgia homeowners can do as a preventive before getting to this point. There are a lot of things, you as a homeowner, need to be aware of. Here at Wet Seal we like to practice and teach the three G’s.
- Gutters
- Grading
- Ground Water
Gutters are simple. Make sure they are working and flowing away from the home. Grading, making sure things are moving away. We don’t want puddles next to your homes foundation. Ground water is something that can be a little troublesome, especially this time of the year. The ice and snow has melted and the rains are moving in. The water in the ground is just more than we like to see this time of year.
The harsh winter weather has expanded soil most likely leaving hair line cracks in foundation walls and footers. Now water tries to find a way into your foundation in some of those more creative ways. Coming in from underneath slabs and inside walls. The new rain water will find its way in.
The winter here in Georgia is really where most of the damage to a home comes into play. The spring rains just let us know where the damage has been accruing. Painting patching and plugging does not work. We like to think of those methods as a temporary Band-Aid. It may fix some problem areas temporarily until the ground water surfaces somewhere else, or in many cases just won’t work at all. This is why you need to not only block the water that is attempting to surface but redirect it to a different location.
Relocating the ground water to a lower area away from your home and its foundation is most commonly the best solution to your problem. This will prevent the musty smell, mold, damaged foundations, cracked walls and most importantly, water seeping into your home and causing all kinds of problems.
We cannot stress enough the importance of catching the early warning signs before it’s too late. We have seen the destruction of what just a tiny bit of water can do to a home and the damage it can cause. These problems will only continue to get worse if not looked at.
If you are experiencing these kinds of problems and just don’t know what to do. It’s ok. That’s why we are here to help you and point you in the right direction.
