Clean gutters, dry basement!

When we were viewing this house, we noticed some spots in the northwest corner of the basement where water had been seeping in . At first glance, I blamed it on a missing window well cover.  After moving in, this was my first maintenance issue to attack!  If you know me, I get information crazy and obsessive.  A bit of investigation outside led me to the problem.  First, the gutter downspout extension on that corner of the house was missing.  The water was draining directly into the foundation line.  Not good.  Easy fix though.  Picked up a 4' section of aluminum guttering and one elbow.  This projected the extension about 5' from the house onto a slight grade AWAY from the home.  Job done!  Not quite.  Fast forward a few weeks and I still notice some water coming in the basement. During a heavy rainfall I discovered water dripping, no gushing, form the top elbow.  Clog!  As soon as the rain was over and lightning no longer a threat, up the extension ladder I went.  I found a lot of debris in the lower level and upper level guttering. Mostly pine needles, which are very good at forming dams and creating blockages.  After clearing the gutters, downspouts, and elbows, the drainage was great.  No more leaks, no more water in the basement.  Don't underestimate this chore.  Try to have your gutters cleaned at least twice a year.  It's especially important to get them cleaned in the spring, before the "April showers" and the fall, before the snow starts to fly.  For service, call up Freeflow Gutter Cleaning @ 217-918-1826.