What's more current than the weather?

[glatt]

Crazy flash flooding in Arlington on Tuesday. Neighborhoods nowhere near rivers or streams flooded severely for the first time ever. Just a very hard rain for a brief time. And the water was gone in a half an hour. Some houses were pushed off their foundations. I think it was 3.5 inches in an hour in localized neighborhoods.

Crazy stuff. My hardware store had its basement completely filled. Destroyed over $100k of inventory. And no flood insurance because it never floods here.

Meanwhile, our basement stayed mostly dry since we put on downspout extensions last year.

[tw]

Originally Posted by glatt

Meanwhile, our basement stayed mostly dry since we put on downspout extensions last year.

Damp basements are only due to fools who think ground must be flat. Ground should drop at least 1 foot for every ten out. Better landscaping means earth is must steeper all around the house.

Downspout extensions only required when the landscaper is totally unprofessional - stupidly want to make ground flat.

Furthermore, that ground that steeply rises up to the house must also remain at least 6 inches below the siding. That must foundation must separate the structure from earth to avert termites and other problems. Again, failure (moisture anywhere in a basement) created because a landscaper had no idea how to do his job. Rain was not the problem. Human ignorance was.

UT once posted pictures of a (constantly damp) residence because ground all around the house was defectively graded.

Of course, it may not matter if a backyard river has nowhere else to go. But even then, landscaping means the house remains a island - a last thing to flood.

Downspout extensions are necessary when a landscaper did not know what he was doing.

[glatt]

If there even was a landscaper. There is no evidence that our property was landscaped.

It's more accurate to say the builder who located the house is responsible.

[tw]

Originally Posted by glatt

There is no evidence that our property was landscaped.

The builder defines grading. Otherwise there is still a big hole (no landscaping) around the outside of that foundation.

What we choose to call that landscaper can be Juan or Bulldozer Joe. He is still the guy who graded that land. And he is the guy who either eliminates a damp basement or makes it wet.

Then extension downspouts must be installed to cure symptoms of inferior workmanship. So yes, that bad landscape may be directly traceable to the landscaper who is also called the builder. Who he is is irrelevant. What that (some) human created is relevant. Damp basements only exist when a human screws up.