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Rain, rain, go away, come again some other day. Rain, rain…

If you are one of the many homeowners whose house suffers from water damage caused by poor grading, you probably sing this nursery rhyme quite often when it rains. Poor grading around your home’s exterior can cause water to collect around the foundation of your home, which in turn may cause your basement or crawlspace to flood and increase your chances of getting mold or mildew. But don’t worry, listed below are some steps you can take to prevent the problems before they start (or correct them if they are already present).

How to check the grade of your house

If you’re concerned about the present condition of your yard, and would like to check the grade around your house, you can do this with a level and a flat, straight piece of wood.

First, clear the area around where you are going to measure. The reason for this is that you want to make sure you are measuring from the bare ground so you will get the most accurate measurement, not atop excess mulch or decorative pieces. Next, put the wood on the bare ground next to your house and lay the level perpendicular to the house. Lift or lower the end of the level until the bubble is in the center. Finally, measure the height at the point furthest from the house and the ground. The rule of thumb is one inch per foot, so if you use a four-foot level, you should have a four-inch difference between the ends.

When your basement floods, assess the problem to see how severe it is

There are different courses of action you can take when poor grading causes damage, so it’s a good idea to find out exactly where the problem starts.

      · Clean out your gutters. If there is visible debris clogging the ends of your gutters, go ahead and clean them out. It will clear the path so water will run through the downspout easily. If your gutters are over-clogged or you notice a bigger problem, be sure to call a professional. In doing so you will be saving yourself a lot of headaches.

      ·Readjust your downspouts. When it rains, thousands of gallons of water are collected in your gutter. So it is important that your downspouts are adjusted to carry this water away from your foundation.

      ·Fill in depressions. If you notice small depressions around your house, you can fix the problem yourself by filling them in. Go to a home and garden store and purchase a few bags of dirt or soil (depending on the amount and size of the depressions). Fill the depressions so that they are more than full. Monitor this for about a month and repeat if necessary. A landscape company or excavation contractor should be called if the problem persists or is too big to take on yourself.

      ·Dig a ditch. If the ground slopes towards your house, you can create a shallow ditch, called a swale, which will take the water away. Check to see the nearest spot where a natural downgrade is, and use that as your ending point. Dig a swale where the water is pooling and direct it around the side of your house and towards the natural slope. This will help take water away from your house.

      ·Dig a moat. It may sound like something from the days of yore, but by digging a trench or moat around problem areas of your house, you will improve the drainage conditions for your yard. All you would need to do is dig a narrow trench about two to three feet deep and then fill it in within one inch of the top with washed gravel. Top it off with topsoil and grass seed. Before digging in the yard or around the house call your local utility company and they will locate and mark under-ground utility pipes and lines.

If you’re in need of a home inspector, look to the professionals at The HomeTeam Inspection Service [http://www.hometeaminspection.com]. Our team of professionals will provide you with the home inspection you deserve.

Due to the safety risks involved with inspecting a home, The HomeTeam Inspection Service does not recommend that homeowners try to perform their own home inspection. Instead, HomeTeam urges all homeowners to hire a professional inspector to conduct a thorough inspection of their home prior to closing.