Installing drainage systems with downspout drain lines is simple enough to do. First check with your local government. Stormwater rules and regulations may prohibit some of your ideas. Can you discharge rainwater onto your property? Drainage systems that use a smooth 4 inch diameter plastic SDR-35 pipe will have few problems. Read my tips for better drainage.
"Brick walls leak water. They’ve always leaked water. Builders and masons from hundreds of years ago knew this and..." Brick Weep Holes Tips Water gets behind brick walls Weep holes allow water to exit the wall Mortar can clog weep holes Flashings must be installed too DEAR TIM: I live in a brick townhouse. In […]
DEAR TIM: My last house had a basement that leaked water. I’m building a new home and want my basement as dry as the Atacama Desert. I’m confident that my drain tile was not put in correctly at my last house. What are the best practices when installing drain tile around a foundation? What materials […]
DEAR TIM: My home is less than two months old and I already have a problem with my downspout drainage. Where the sidewalk comes up to my front porch a black corrugated plastic pipe extends through the concrete. The soil under the sidewalk has now eroded and each time it rains I can see water […]
DEAR TIM: I read your column down under on the other side of the world. We just moved into our new brick two-story home and I’ve got a problem with soggy lawn drainage. As you can see in my photo, the ground on one side of the house is higher than the first floor of […]
DEAR TIM: I’m building a new home and am quite concerned about possible flooding that could happen. I built on a hill and the land slopes towards my home. The builder didn’t put in much of a ditch at all and it seems like bad things could happen with a very bad storm or extended […]
DEAR TIM: When it rains or snow melts, I have large water puddles on the concrete sidewalk in front of my house. The puddles have at least 2 inches of water at the deepest point. This sidewalk in parallel with the city street that has a modern rounded curb. It's dangerous in the winter as […]
DEAR TIM: My garage is at the bottom of a hill and is tucked into the soil on three sides. I do get some water leakage through the concrete block walls in the spring and during heavy rains. The asphalt floor is always damp despite running a dehumidifier all summer. Do you have any solution […]
DEAR TIM: My new house foundation was just poured on a sloping lot. I stopped by just after the forms were stripped from the foundation and I think they poured the foundation too deep. The ground on one side of the house is about 5 feet higher than the top of the foundation. I think […]
Foundation Footing Detail - It's All About Great Soil & Steel "That's what a house footer does. Its job is to provide a nice flat and level surface to set foundation wall panels and to spread out the weight of the entire house onto the ground." Tim Carter - Look below DEAR TIM: I stopped […]
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