August was one of the rainiest months of all time in Madison, WI and I heard from many folks about water in basements. Not a fun problem to have, but it is a common one. From the many home inspections that I have been to, the number one recommendation from inspectors is about grading around the house – which is one major factor with basement water issues.

So what the inspectors are saying is to keep the grading of the dirt around the house sloping away from the house, not towards the house. This is something that you have to keep on top of all the time – it is not just a one time fix and then you are set. So take a gander around your house and see which way the grading is going. If it is towards the house, you have a weekend project full of dirt and wheel barrows ahead of you! I have friends who have a gin & tonic on Sunday evenings as they take a tour of the outside of their house to look at the garden and decide what they would like to tackle next for home improving projects – sounds like fun to me! Cheers!