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 […]
Cheri Bednarck lives in McAlester, OK. She's got a driveway issue and needs a repair. Here's what she told me: "My property sits on a sandbar. My driveway has been cracking and slipping for years. During the latest downpour a large undermining area has washed a lot of the sand between the driveway and the street. […]
Judi Adkins has had some much-needed rain in Austin, Texas. But she feels the flooding in her condo requires the changing of at least one downspout direction. Here's what she sent to me: "I live in a first floor condo. It has a recent history of water damage. We are experiencing an unusual deluge of rain this […]
Old Man Winter finally got up and went home. This past year, he reminded me of that family relative that still is sitting on my couch at 10 pm on Thanksgiving, not knowing it was time to leave a while ago. With warm temperatures and favorable weather here, it's time to get started on some […]
DEAR TIM: My backyard is not level. The ground slopes from the left to the right as you look out my back kitchen window. The land in the subdivision slopes this general direction until it hits a small creek three blocks away. Ever since my neighbor built an in-ground swimming pool I have water ponding […]
Gary Ennis Jr. lives in what appears to be suburban Woodhaven, Michigan. But when it rains, he's got water in his garage. Here's his story: "I have a two-car detached garage that has water come in at the floor when it rains. I have installed a drain system around the outside but still have water coming […]
Rein Eisenzopf, who lives where it rains in Woodbridge, VA, has lots of water problems when his sump pump fails. "When my sump pump fails my basement floods. Would it be advisable or possible to provide an exterior pathway from the low side of the walkout basement drain tile to divert water away from the […]
Rachael Maloney, who has a nice home in Cedar City, UT, has a perplexing problem with a downspout drain pipe. Let her tell you about it: "We have a downspout drain pipe that runs across our front sidewalk. The problem I have is that the sidewalk is right up against the foundation of our garage. The […]
Quick Column Summary: Problem with water entering crawlspace A crawlspace below grade is similar to a pond Waterproof your basement by diverting the water DEAR TIM: I've got a chronic problem with water entering the 4-foot-tall crawlspace under the duplex I live in. This year has been bad with all the rain we're having. We […]
Quick Column Summary: Planter landscaping against foundation Water issues Keep brick dry, weep holes open Space around foundation allows for inspection DEAR TIM: I just purchased a home where the landscaping bed is up against the brick front wall. The home is about twenty-five-years old. The planting bed extends about 3 feet from the house […]
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