Gutters are Critical!

Jack Krider, one of our lead specialists that covers Colorado Springs, Pueblo and well…pretty much all of Denver Metro takes us on a quick assessment to an older home that appears to never have had gutters.

Water mitigation is important to keeping your foundation sound.

When people think about foundation issues, they often think of possibly poor construction or soil changes, natural disasters and termites. BUT proper drainage, & sloping of landscaping can play a major role in the health of your foundation. Specifically, many homes suffer from foundation issues because of poor gutter systems, or in this case a complete lack of one.

Upon inspecting this home built in 1947, Jack discovered that the east side of the home had a lovely flower bed, but the East side of the home was settling and sinking. An attempt to stabilize this side was made at some point with a post and beam system. An elevation survey was taken and found the home had settled approximately 2 3/4”.

Suggested repair: Install AB Chance piers, attempt to lift back to level and replace concrete. Note: often lifting a home like this can result in additional superficial cracking on plaster. This is why sometimes when we come out to assess cracking, we let you know that your house is indeed stable and the cracks can often be superficial. Unlike many of our competitors, we do not sell you what you do not need. Honest and forthright are our claims to fame.

Lesson for the day: Check you gutter system; make sure it’s cleaned regularly and properly mitigates water and keep in mind that the landscaping around the house can also affect your foundation over time.

You can schedule a free assessment with Jack Krider by calling the office at 720-441-3611 and he can also be reached at 970-903-7480 as well as jkrider@coloradostructuralrepair.com