Clean guttersTake advantage of dry weather to clear
out leaves, needles and debris, leaving gutters free to carry rainwater
away and protect your home from mold and rot. Depending on your home's
surroundings, you should do this several times a year. Hire someone
(around $50 to $100) or get a stable ladder (and someone to hold it) and
do it yourself. Use a garden trowel or your (gloved) hands to muck out
the debris. Scrub gutters with a non-metallic brush. Slosh water from a
hose through the gutters and the drainpipes to finish the job and test
that they're clear and that water is flowing away from your basement,
foundation or crawl space.
Inspect gutters
While you're at it, inspect the
gutters. Look for joints separating, loose connections and attachments,
sags, dips and corrosion. Tighten or reattach loose gutter connections. Clean
out downspout ends (also called "leaders"). These should extend out at
least 3 feet at the ground, though some experts suggest 5 or 10 feet.
The idea is to prevent water from running back to your home's
foundation. At the same time, take care that your downspouts don't
drain onto your neighbors' property, causing problems for them. Some
cities have ordinances regulating the distance you can discharge your
gutters from your property line (ask for details at the city planning
department). After you've cleaned and repaired your gutters, test
them by having someone run a hose into the gutters while you walk around
the house, looking for leaks and observing where the water drains. Or
walk around the house to check during the next heavy rainstorm.
Source: Marilyn Lewis of MSN Real Estate
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