If there are missing or damaged downspout or gutter parts, these are the most obvious sources of water and should be replaced or repaired as gutters and spouting are essential to keep the interior of your home dry. Ignoring these obvious defects almost always leads to serious long term problems. If these parts are in good repair, then the most obvious problem is clogged gutters. This is common when a tree or large plant sheds its leaves on your roof. They can wash down into the down pipe, or collect at the opening at the top and block the water. Either situation will result in water washing over the side and straight down your wall where it will saturate the ground and seep into your blocks. One should also notice how close the gutters are to the roof. When the gutters are installed too close to the roof, the weather in a heavy rain shoots right past them as it comes down the roof falling against the wall instead of being channeled to a discharge line.

If you have problems with faulty spouting it’s covered in Section W – Pages 65, 66 of The Home Waterproofers Manual – Home Waterproofing A to Z. I’ve used this same knowledge every day to fix water problems. It will work for you too. You can get the job done fast, at low cost and have a dry, healthy and livable home again. Don’t put yourself at the mercy of high priced waterproofers. You can save thousands of dollars and many headaches by learning what is going on first.

You can save thousands of dollars and many headaches by learning what is going on first. Often what looks like an expensive and serious problem may not be. Once the problem is explained, solving it is just common sense. I’ve used the knowledge I’ve put in The Home Waterproofers Manual – Home Waterproofing A to Z every day to fix water problems. It will work for you too.

But remember, when dealing with salesmen, in the waterproofing business it’s “buyer beware”. Most get a percentage of the sale and don’t consider it their job to save you money. They charge as much as they can. If they see a problem that can be fixed at low cost, or one that has a simple solution, they won’t mention it, but will only talk about “preventing serious damage” and try to scare you into signing a big contract.