Soil Grading
Ideally, the ground should drop 1 inch for every 1 foot that you move away from the house for the first 6-to-10 feet around your house. While this may not always be possible, the ground should never be sloping upwards as you move away from your
house foundation.

How many downspout installations should your gutters have?
If we have to sum it up in a single rule, gutters need a downspout around every 25ft. For most homes, this means installing spouts at either end of a gutter section.

There are many more important factors that can change this broad rule. They include:

• Roof area: The more roof surface above the gutters, the more rainwater will be caught and funneled down into those gutters. A large roof is going to move a lot of water, which means the downspout locations and the size of the gutters may need to be adjusted to compensate.
• Roof slope: A high sloped roof moves water more quickly, and if gutters have trouble dealing with a lot of water in a short period of time, an extra downspout can alleviate that issue. Larger gutters may also need to be installed
• Gutter size: Gutters come in many sizes. Large gutters can hold more water and may not need as many spouts. Smaller gutters may need extra downspouts to make up for their low volume.
• Climate: Heavy rainstorms put a lot more pressure on gutters. Particularly wet climates could require better drainage systems than relatively dry climates. Don’t forget winter! In cold climates like Michigan, items such as heat tape may need to be professionally installed

Fun fact- 1 inch of rain on a 1,200sq foot roof produces 672 gallons of water run off!

Flower beds and vegetation
Flower beds next to the house may also promote basement and crawl space water intrusion that can lead to water damage. Landscaping beds generally comprise a large surface area of exposed, porous soil, readily absorbing water that then flows downward along the basement wall. Edgings around flower beds also cause water to pool, increasing ground absorption and infiltration into the house. Instead of flower beds, proper grading without flowers, bushes, trees and vegetation should be next to the home.

How far should a sump pump drain from your house?
It is important to keep the discharge point of your sump pump as far from your foundation as possible. The minimum distance should be 20 feet. With Michigan’s cold weather season, care should be taken to make sure the discharge line does not freeze.

Sidewalks and Patios
Over time sidewalks and patios can settle. This is usually caused by the soil next to the foundation. The soil is not virgin soil and does not have the proper compaction. With water erosion and settling, this causes the sidewalk and patios to eventually shed water towards the foundation. At times the concrete or patio stones need to be adjusted for proper drainage