Examples of Water Exiting Control Systems

The important thing to remember with water control concerns around homes is that 99.9% of all water entry issues around homes are due to poor rain control from roofs to gutters and downspouts to exit drains. The basic and most important thing about controling rain drains is to make sure all gutters are clean and draining to downspouts and downpouts exit far away from homes or into rain drain exits.

Here are some examples of how people have not only controled rain drainage, but put the rain water to work and used as irrigation for their lawns and gardens. These are actual Green and Sustainable and responsible water control examples that only require re-thinking of water with downspout re-configurations, and a rain catch system, quite a bit more complex. Consider the great value to your homes when tapped rain drainage is controled, and used to your advantage.

the one thing to always avoid with downspouts is no
extensions or direction of drainage….these will leak
into basement

Here are two downspout systems noted combined at the
side of home and directed away from basement to lower
street

Here is downspout that is noted overhead and then
attached to fence and directed away from basement to
garden…

Here is another downspout that has been directed away
from basement and to front street as well using flex
pipe…nice…

Here is a set up of rain catch system with 8 – 55
gallon drums and is caught in winter and dispensed in summer…

Distribution system can catch water or dispense
directly. there are 3 total catch systems totalling
1320 gallons, nice

April 12, 2011 · Filed Under Exiting Drains

Comment

Why should I have any new home inspected by an independent home inspector?

Here is an example of an oversight noted of a multi-family complex that has exposed gas meters very close to entry driveway/garage openings of row houses and the danger is that an automobile and accidentally crush the meter and break the gas main and cause an explosion. This could occur from entry or backing up from across the main drive as well.

This is a common find in single and multiple family construction, both inside and at exterior areas and is a danger and should be addressed. As a home inspector, I do not call codes, but am familiar with codes, and do advise and assess for safety and details and fit and finish of structures, and this detail is found of concern, and can be of danger. I do not say its going to happen and hope it never will, but the best solution here is to install protection posts at every vulnerable gas meter in this complex, and found that almost all gas entry meters are exposed and vulnerable.