Recent rainfalls are a reminder to homeowners how important it is to maintain spouting gutters, downspouts and runoffs. As much as one and one half to two inches of rainfall per hour can fill spouting gutters to the maximum in a short period of time. When spouting outlets are blocked they will overflow causing the soil around the foundation walls to get saturated which in turn can eventually work through to the interior of your basement.

Not only is it important to keep gutters clean, it is just as important to make sure the grading around the exterior of your home slopes away from the foundation by as much as six inches in the first ten feet. This will help move water away from your foundation so it doesn’t have a chance to saturate the soil around your foundation.