Charlie: Buzzy in Alief says, “Our house is about 2 1/2 inches low on the East side when we get torrential rain and thunderstorms. The natural drainage, sandbags, French drain, and pump cannot keep up.” This sounds like the finest hour. They’re trying to keep the house afloat.
Tom: Sounds like World War I in the trenches.
Charlie: Exactly. This is just to protect the patio area. That’s where they thought the water was coming in, but no. According to her it’s on the East side. Estimates to level the house and fix this are about 10 grand. She says she’s 70, the house is only worth $110,000. She was thinking, ready for this? She wants to have somebody build a dam, like a berm around the house to stop it from happening.
Tom: You can’t build a dam.
Charlie: Okay, so …
Tom: People always want to try to do that. It’s not a boat. You can’t turn it over, it won’t float. Family landscapes, licensed irrigators, irrigation systems, not irrigation, drainage systems, excuse me, is what she’s going to need. It’s going to be expensive. It’s not a matter of raising the house, it’s a matter of moving the water. Redoing the landscaping is going to be the best bet. Building a dam is not the answer.
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