Notebook: Water Drainage

One of the issues facing the homeowners in Silver Spring, Maryland, was poor site drainage. Water can be very destructive to foundations, basements and crawlspaces . The trick is keeping it as far away from the house as possible.

Start with downspouts: make sure they're not dumping rain water where it will pool against the foundation of the house.

If the downspouts are open-ended, use a downspout extension hose or a splash block to keep the water at a safe distance. Be sure your gutters are clean and sloped toward the downspouts. In some homes, a basement perimeter drain or a sump pump may be necessary if regrading, gutter maintenance and downspout extensions can't solve the problem .

For extensive water problems, you may need to consult a waterproofing contractor . But often, all that's needed is an easy, do-it-yourself fix.