Water Fun, and the Not So Fun!!

Let's start with the "Not So Fun." Water is "Public Enemy Number One" when it comes to the integrity of your house. Water infiltration can wreak havoc on a house by causing staining, rotting, and ultimately deterioration problems. A house should have proper drainage on the exterior. This begins with gutters and an adequate down spout system. If water is allowed to settle around the foundation of your home, over time the foundation will succumb to deterioration. Proper slope around your house is essential as well to help insure proper drainage of away from the foundation. If you are in a wet area to begin with you may have a sump well with a pump system. Making sure the pump is maintained and operating properly is a must. Caulking around windows, doors, and other areas that may invite water in to the home is equally as important. This will prevent water from infiltrating and thus causing water damage issues on the interior.

As far as maintenance on the interior, routinley inspect and be sure no faucets are leaking in a manner that will have water entering an area it is not welcome. Under sinks is the big one in this situation. Water can begin to leak without you noticing and cause rotting deterioration issues. Making sure showers are properly caulked is important also. Always use your fan when taking a shower to help draw out the moisture that accumulates in the bathroom during showering. I have also seen moisture issues to include water puddling at the connection of your dryer venting hose. This may be caused due to blockage in the hose itself, or in another case too long of a venting distance from the dryer to the outside of the house. Shorten the distance of the hose if you can, or one can invest in an acceleration venting system to help vent out the air/moisture with more force.

Now for the "Water Fun"! This is very simple, if you want to entertain your children for hours on end, and of course expend a bunch of their energy, take them to a water park or simply a swimming pool. If you don't have a pool at your home... your local YMCA would probably work. Or better yet...get away for the weekend to a nice hotel that has "Water Fun." Be sure though there is a hot tub for mom and dad to relax in while the kids are going bonkers in the water.

Like water, be gentle and strong. Be gentle enough to follow the natural paths of the earth, and strong enough to rise up and reshape the world. - Brenda Peterson