Around the House: Yes, Those Darn Leaves Are Falling

Alas its not been the most colorful fall. They say it was because of the early cold weather . Nontheless those darn leaves are falling and if ignored the gutters will fill, the leaders will clog and in no time moisture will gather close to the foundation.

What to do?

Really its simpler than you might think...

Short of cutting down all the trees around your home, you need to get up and clean those gutters. Of course if you cannot lug a ladder around or the thought of climbing on gives you the shakes... you might want to kick start the economy and hire one of the neighborhood kids, a relative or even scarcer to find... a handyman.

Cleaning most gutters is no more complicated than getting close enough to scoop out the leaves, debris and gook (technical term) and make sure the leader drains are running clear.

I usually bring a bucket up with me to place the gook in. I also make sure I have a durable pair of dishwashing gloves made of vinyl, latex or nitrile to avoid actually getting too involved in the smelly stuff.

Draggin a hose around with a good sprayer nozzle is a big help as well.

Try not to over extend your reach or lean to far in any direction on the ladder... if you do, we may be searching for you in the bushes later.

Once the leaves are out, you may want to consider installing one of the new gutter liners made out of spun foam or nylon. Products that filter out the debris but allow the water to drain off into the gutters. I'm not a big fan of metal gutter covers.

I can't say this is one of my favorite Fall tasks, but it is important and will make keeping your basement dry much easier. 

Some other tips:

1. Route leader drains at least 3 to 6 feet away from the foundation.

2. Try not to route water onto walkways or driveways. They become icy in colder weather.

3. Make sure subsurface drains are clear and that rodents cannot get into them as they will clog them with nexting material.

4. If you are using splashblocks make sure they are pitched away from the foundation.

5. Keep trees and shrubs close to the home pruned and cut limbs that rub on the siding and or roofing.

6.If you see water in the basement, or signs of white salts on the foundation (efflorescence) you may need waterproofing or the addition of a dehumidifier.

7. If you are prone to power outages in your home get a battery back-up for your sump pump.

8. Add a water sensor on the floor of your basement to warn you of flooding or seepage.

For more tips and home ideas tune in to the Patch every week for my blog.