Paul Cummins
Lovely Drainage Solution
Water was draining from driveway into basement. Soil was added to regrade away from the house and a drainage channel lined with gravel...
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Paul Cummins
Dec 18, 20171 min read
Reboot your plumbing vents!
Perma-boots come in different sizes depending on the size of the vent pipes. These can also easily extend the height of existing pipes if...
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Paul Cummins
Jun 24, 20171 min read
The Drain to Nowhere
Water is the main enemy of your house. We don't want roofs to leak, concrete blocks to show salt deposits, pipes to break, siding to...
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Paul Cummins
Mar 20, 20171 min read
Water is usually the enemy...chimneys included!
Chimneys: lofty, solid...out there in the wind and snow and rain. But like all of us, vulnerable. Brick work isn't designed to act like...
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Paul Cummins
Mar 17, 20171 min read
A couple tweaks to make your gutters more effective.
Roofs are supposed to be on top of everything else. When a roof meets a wall you've got water running down where it was not meant to and...
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Paul Cummins
Feb 12, 20171 min read
Best gutter guards
Here's a house where the gutters have become planters! Cleaning gutters (and anything else done on ladders) is a major cause of death...
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Paul Cummins
Oct 14, 20161 min read
Water Alarm
The most costly damage I've seen in homes has come from plumbing leaks, sump overflows and water heaters bursting. It is good to check...
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Paul Cummins
Sep 18, 20161 min read
Losing soil along a sloping foundation?
I'm not a fan of painting the timbers: they will flake soon and look grimy. Just need to be sure the soil and mulch doesn't get too...
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Paul Cummins
Jul 15, 20161 min read
Problem with slate roofs is that the flashing wears out first!
The metal flashing wears out after about 70 years on slate roofs. To redo flashing on the valleys they have to be cut back and...
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Paul Cummins
Jun 26, 20161 min read
Safe "Power Washing"!
This little $5 device has endless uses. It's great for "sweeping" driveways and patios and cleaning out your outdoor drains. The ones...
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Paul Cummins
Jan 5, 20161 min read
A levy for your basement door!
Drove my Chevy to the levy and it WAS NOT dry. Water pouring in under the door, wood trim rotting on either side...led me to drink a...
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Paul Cummins
Dec 3, 20151 min read
Can save you from a failing basement wall!
Buried downspout extensions are more attractive but are guaranteed to clog at some point and send water directly to your foundation. ...
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Paul Cummins
Nov 22, 20151 min read
Clear cover on sump helps avoid flooding!
If the sump pump doesn't work then your primary defense against basement flooding is lost. If the sump is sealed tight and the cover is...
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Paul Cummins
Nov 21, 20151 min read
Dry wells prevent your yard from being classified as wetlands!
First thought, dry wells aren't good, means we will die of thirst after crossing the desert. Ah, but dry wells can save your foundation,...
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Paul Cummins
Nov 3, 20151 min read
From mold to crumbling walls...$10 can save you thousands!
It's amazing how much damage a leaky gutter or a misdriected downspout can do. I've seen gutter overflows neglected for years causing...
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Paul Cummins
Aug 8, 20151 min read
Protect your crawlspace from flooding!
When the ground near your crawlspace vent is graded toward your house, runoff can go right in your crawlspace vent! One rebuilt house I...
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Paul Cummins
Jul 29, 20151 min read
Water under the basement door no more!
Maybe the gutter is overflowing, maybe your yard is sloped toward your stairs, maybe your old drain at the bottom of the stairs is just...
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Paul Cummins
Jul 28, 20151 min read
No Ark Required!
New product saves hauling gravel and making sure landscape fabric is secure around your trench when you are trying to save walls from...
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Paul Cummins
Jul 24, 20151 min read
Timing is Everything!
A home usually has a long history of good use, happy times and, yes, insults and injuries, before I come to check it over for a potential...
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Paul Cummins
Mar 30, 20151 min read
The walls don't need to come a tumblin' down!
Yesterday I saw a house on a hill with a crumbling garage wall buckling and other retaining walls cracking due to the simple lack of...
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