We are ready to dive into Season 2 with Episode 1’s discussion about the exterior landscape. We will often start our inspections by working from the outside in, and that usually starts with an inspection of the exterior landscape.

Water is an amazing force, and we should never underestimate its power over time. One of our primary concerns when we are looking at a home is water eroding soil away from the structure. Take a look at the images below. You can see some spaces where you think spaces shouldn’t be. This is the type of erosion activity that we are looking for. This type of erosion can be very bad for the integrity of the foundation of a home.

In addition to erosion, we are also looking for standing water. Standing water as a sign of poor drainage. Standing water can cause different problems depending on how close to the structure the water is. If the water is away from the structure, at the very least it will provide a breeding ground for insects and reduce the usability of the land. Standing water can also lead to municipal nuisance citations which can get expensive quickly.

 I highly recommend St. Louis Home Inspection Services. Steve went above & beyond. He looked at the entire home from top to bottom & when he was done he actually took the time to go over the major & minor things that he found. We where able to get the sellers to fix some of these items, allowing us to spend our hard earned money on other things. Home Inspection Client

Water is a powerful force. We should always be aware of how the water interacts with the landscape surrounding a structure. Overtime, poor grading and drainage can lead to very expensive problems.

Thanks for joining us this week! Join us again next week for Episode 2, we’ll look at siding and gutters. Siding and gutters provide a very important barrier to the elements. Have a safe and happy St. Patty’s day weekend.