How does the grading of one’s property have an impact on the home?

Grading is the leveling or building up of the ground around one’s home and property. When done properly, it can actually make the difference in how much you can actually enjoy your home. When done improperly, it can cause you a lot of frustration and even some expense. Proper grading can add to the overall pleasing appearance of your property. Gently sloping lawns can make your home look more inviting.

When people start looking for homes, one of the first things they look at are the driveways and sidewalks. Level or only slightly raised driveways and sidewalks mean that they will be able to easily access their house. This can be a real selling point, especially to the one who is responsible for schlepping the groceries and other things to and from the car.

In those areas where flooding may be a problem at times, property that has been properly graded can mean the difference between flood waters being held back from your home, if not your entire property, or in your home being damaged or destroyed.

Improper grading, on the other hand, may immediately give one the impression of poor or low-quality workmanship on the builder’s or landscaper’s part. In some instances, this may actually be the reason why a home doesn’t sell as quickly as others around it.

Homeowners whose property has not been properly graded may have problems accessing their house, especially during times of extremely wet or icy weather. Steeply sloping driveways and sidewalks may cause people to in effect be trapped in their homes. And, no one wants to have to climb a steep grade with an armload of groceries or a heavy child.

On the other hand, no grading at all may mean that flood waters can flow over one’s property too freely. A little rising of the ground in the lower places may be necessary to prevent this.

How can drainage impact the home?

Proper drainage reduces soil erosion, allowing vegetation roots to remain covered and the ground to have a level surface, rather than dips or crevices caused by constantly flowing water.

When proper drainage is assured, homeowners do not have to worry about their water supply becoming polluted from groundwater. Rather, the groundwater is carried away from the water supply, thus making it safer.

Proper drainage is especially important at those homes where septic systems are used for waste disposal. Not only can the systems work better when proper drainage is occurring, there is less chance of damage to field lines or overflow happening.

When water is properly drained from one’s property, there are no wet or boggy places to worry about, especially on the lawn. The entire area can be used for recreation. Further, not having places that constantly remain wet is healthier, as mold or fungus does not have a chance to grow.

How does the presence and appearance of vegetation impact the home?

The amount of vegetation as well as its placement can make all the difference in the world between a house looking as though it is lived in by people who care about their home’s appearance and a house or property that looks run-down or abandoned. In fact, it is those homes that have such an appearance that can frequently be the target of break-ins. If it appears that a home has not been occupied for quite a while, or is in fact abandoned, thieves may be more tempted to try to enter the house.

Along the same lines, well-placed bushes or shrubbery, as well as a neat, well-kept yard can actually serve as a break-in deterrent. They can also help alleviate or at least make the problem of recalcitrant adolescents sneaking in or out of the home a lot more difficult. Nothing says “stop” more or faster than running into some nice, sharp-pointed rose or holly bushes.

Natural vegetation, when properly controlled, can actually give your home the appearance of blending in with the surroundings rather than one of artificiality. In fact, homes that have little or no natural vegetation but sport transplanted flowers, bushes, shrubs, and other items may actually be as unattractive as those that look unkempt.

The controlling of natural vegetation to some extent is necessary, however, to avoid problems with wildlife gaining easy access to your home or property. You want to welcome people into your home, not snakes or skunks.

GRADING

In modern day subdivisions, engineers will prepare detailed grading and plot plans for the disposition of rain water.  The plans will define and set the elevations of the top of the foundation for each house and the entire grading plan for each lot.  Of course, there’s much more to a subdivision grading plan, but the goal is simple enough.  It’s to ensure that;  a). the area will not flood under normal conditions and  b). there will be no flooding or ponding water on any one parcel of land.  While the technical expertise of the engineer is not required, the home inspector needs to be alert to the goal.

LOW POINT OF PROPERTY

One simple technique is to seek out the lowest point of the property and then ascertain what will likely happen to any water which accumulates there.  Where, from any adjacent area, will the water come?  Where does it go?  Where can it go?  How much will remain ponded?

Sometimes, the questions can be answered be visually surveying the nearby properties - on all four sides.  The inspector may well have to take a walk “around the block” to find the answers.  Then too, the current owners history and knowledge can be a valuable source of information.  Does any water pond on the property?  If so, how much accumulates?  How long does it stay?  What has been the worst case scenario?  The good inspector dutifully reports what has been said.

GRADING DEPRESSIONS

Each and every grading depression should be taken note of.  Is this a new occurrence?  Is the ground actively sinking?  Is the depression in line with the drain tile or sewer system?  Have there been any recent repairs or replacements?  Why is it the way it is?  Again, the current owners history can be a valuable source of information.

SAFETY HAZARDS

Walking the property can be an interesting experience.  Holes in the ground can be anywhere.  Storage tanks, some environmentally sensitive such as oil tanks, can be found in the strangest places.  Needless to say, any such items which can effect the client’s safe and ordinary enjoyment of the property should be taken in to account and reported by the inspector.  By the same token, where the area of the property is expansive - such as farm land, the inspector will likely set some limits on the area of observation and report accordingly.

Since the area immediately adjacent to the building directly represents a potential for water entry into the building, it must be considered separately and carefully.  The recommended pitch near a building is one inch per foot for a distance of 5’0” from the foundation in every direction.  While this standard may well be applied in relatively new construction, it is not likely to be found in older homes set on small lots in urban areas.  Sometimes, where no adversity exists, the inspector can simply report “TYPICALLY FLAT LAND”.

SLOPING, TILTING, REVERSE PITCH

Normally there should be a one inch per foot sloping away from building.  Sloping ground, tilted walks, settled patios and driveways which pitch downward are all conduits for water flow and should give rise to inspector alert.  So too with depressions in the ground at or near the foundation.  Any exterior condition which increases the probability of water entry into the building should be reported.

DIRT ABOVE FOUNDATION TOP OR IN CONTACT WITH WOOD

As previously noted, most foundation materials are reasonably impervious to moisture but mortar joints, weep holes in brick veneer construction, siding and wood framing members in contact with the ground are ready sources for the ravages of moisture and insect infestations.

CATCH BASINS

Whenever there is a basin in the ground, the inspector’s inquiring mind should be asking “Why is it there?  What is it supposed to do and does it work?”

One type of basin, sometimes referred to as a catch basin, is specifically installed to collect storm water which is then transferred by underground piping to some off site collection point.  If the basin does not have discharge piping but simply acts as a storage point all to itself, it is called a dry well.

Another type of catch basin, found in some older homes, is a part of the sanitary sewer system.  It’s a leftover from the era when kitchen sinks or laundry tubs were not allowed to drain directly to the metropolitan sewer system.  To prevent the lards and the greases from these fixtures flowing down-line, the fixtures are drained to a catch basin near the building (usually not too far from the kitchen).  The solids are allowed to settle while the liquids can freely flow down-line.  Catch basins of this type, no longer required, will have to be cleaned/evacuated about once in ten years on average.  If a garbage disposal has been installed at the kitchen sink the need for periodic cleaning will be much more frequent.  When the inlet or outlet piping is not visible, it’s usually a sign that near term cleaning is imminent.

Downspouts are oftentimes connected into the catch basin but toilets were not and are not allowed to be so connected.

TREES

Most trees are beautiful and contribute to the ambiance of the property but can also be a source for building deficiencies.  Trees too close to the building can cause damage to the roofing or siding; they also provide ready access to the building by squirrels, raccoons, etc.  Other trees may interfere or cause damage to electric wiring and, of course, a large falling tree can cause substantial damage to a building.  The relative health and life of trees, not usually within the scope of the home inspection, is best deferred to the experts but any such vegetation which affects the building or it’s function should be noted and reported.

RETAINING WALLS

Retaining walls are used to hold soil in place where sections have been cut away or filled.  They are also oftentimes used to control surface water run-off on steeply sloped grades.  All retaining walls should be in good condition without bulges, outward leans or other forms of structural adversity.

MANHOLES - TANKS - CISTERNS

Every manhole, sewer type cover or similar in ground hatch should be noted.  Some may be part of a public line or other utility easement through the property.  Some will be the access to cisterns.  A cistern is an underground storage facility for water or other liquids.

Among the most common cisterns will be water storage vaults usually found on farms or in the yards of some old urban properties.  Usually made of concrete these cisterns were (and still are) used to collect the reasonably soft rain water.   Some municipalities now prohibit their use.  Cisterns will vary in size.  The larger ones, such as 14 x 14 x 10’ deep, obviously represent a form of safety hazard for smaller children and on some occasions can contribute to the potential for building seepage.

In an environmentally sensitive atmosphere, any underground storage tanks, the most usual of which is oil tanks, should be noted and reported.