Spring Flood Watch
In houses without gutters, a drip line collection system will solve foundation leakage problems. French drains can carry water away from wet parts of your yard. In the spring, melting snow and April showers conspire against your yard, unleashing ... [... more]
This Old House |
Fall Yard Chores
Roger recommends getting your yard cleaned up and your equipment tuned up before winter sets in. Fall yard clean-up starts with the gutters, which requires setting up a ladder to reach them. Remember to always have someone holding the bottom of ... [... more]
This Old House |
Sump Pump Cover-Up
If you have a sump pump set into the concrete floor of your basement, should it be covered or sealed up to block out radon gas? While there's no plumbing-related reason for a sump pump cover, it will prevent objects from falling into the well and ... [... more]
This Old House |
Repairing Damaged Gutters
Apply a liberal amount of roofing cement around the hole with a caulking gun. Spread the cement a few inches beyond the hole on all sides. Trim the metal patch slightly smaller than the cemented area and firmly press it down . Finally, spread a ... [... more]
This Old House |
Look Out Below
One issue that came up in preparing for the new landscape design at the TV project was how to remove three large maple trees from the small backyard. The solution: bring in a crane. A 121-foot articulating crane carries the severed top of this ... [... more]
This Old House |
Gauging Gutters
Gutters aren't glamorous. But unless there are long overhangs on your roof and your property is steeply graded, they're essential for routing roof runoff away from your home. Installed properly, gutters keep basements and crawl spaces dry, ... [... more]
This Old House |
How to Extend a Downspout: Overview
Rain gutters and downspouts provide an efficient first step in controlling roof runoff. But if the rain or melted snow channeled off the roof isn't carried far enough away from the house, it will collect against the foundation wall or footing and ... [... more]
This Old House |
How to Install Rain Gutters: Overview
For homes in most regions of the country, rain gutters and downspouts are necessary to collect and carry away rainwater. Without them, water would erode the soil around the foundation, splash dirt onto the siding and likely leak into the basement ... [... more]
This Old House |
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