It is always nice to be able to figure out why a problem exists. At a recent inspection I had noted some minor gutter and downspout maintenance issues prior to the deluge of heavy rain. But, when I was down in the crawl space, the otherwise dry area was really wet in one corner. This always requires further review from the outside. Sure enough, when I got the fine tooth comb out, on the outside, the foundation drain was not functioning and water was running over the top of the drain and out around the downspout. You can see the water stain on the concrete, lower left in the photo. There are benefits to inspecting in the rain. Had this inspection been done in dry weather at this newer home, that wet corner would have been dry and there would have been no water coming out of the downspouts and gutters. Wet weather can turn up many more problems at a home and it is beneficial to the inspection process when an inspector works in a climate such as Bellingham. Thanks for stopping by, Steven L. Smith
Check out "This Day In History" -- music and vintage television from the 1950's through the 1980's. I enjoy writing these articles because they take me back to my days in radio broadcasting. Click on Elvis' gold record, below, to revisit those golden hits of yesteryear.
