OCTOBER 16, 2019 • Volume 14 • Issue 42
RE WEEKLY RESIDENTIAL • ACREAGE • FARM • COMMERCIAL • AREA DEVELOPMENT 515-233-3299 • 317 5th Street, Ames • All REALTOR® ads within are REALTORS® licensed in the State of Iowa
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would otherwise run downward toward the structure. Find an outlet point. 2. Excavate a trench, running horizontally across the slope. Care must be taken not to disturb existing underground plumbing pipes.
French drain FYI
Installation fact sheet
By Laura Firszt More Content Now
A
damp basement is bad news for homeowners, and a flooded basement is even worse. How can you protect your property? One solution is French drain installation in your yard or basement. Find out what it’s all about.
What are French drains? French drains are a system of trenches and water pipes designed to drain off groundwater. Residential French drain installation keeps excess moisture away
from structures like your home’s foundation and basement, retaining walls and patios. A French drain may be either outdoors underground or indoors adjacent to a basement floor. Oh, and that name? French drains were developed in the 19th century by Henry Flagg French.
Exterior drain installation When you hire French drain installers, these are the usual steps they’ll follow for exterior installation: 1. Determine the best location, usually on a slope above your house, to divert water that
Interior drain installation 1. Jackhammer the concrete flooring around the perimeter of your basement. 2. Place a layer of gravel in the trench just formed.
3. Line the trench with a water-permeable membrane to keep out tree roots, sand and soil.
3. Install perforated piping, same as for exterior installation.
4. Cover the membrane with 3 inches of compacted pebble gravel.
4. Finish the floor with fresh concrete, leaving a 2-inch gap around the perimeter which permits water to enter via the basement walls.
5. Install a water inlet grate. 6. Insert a perforated plastic pipe extending from the inlet grate to the outlet point, perforations facing downward. 7. Test the drain by pouring water into the inlet grate. 8. Top the piping with 3 inches of crushed stone or pebble gravel, keeping the top below ground level. 9. Add a layer of filter fabric. 10. Protect the inlet grate temporarily while filling the French drain trench with topsoil. 11. Cover the topsoil with a permeable surface such as landscaping stone.
Recommended exterior French drain measurements • Depth. 18-24 inches for a house built on a concrete slab foundation; 6 feet for a house with basement. • Width. Minimum 12-24 inches, to accommodate piping 4-5 inches in diameter. • Slope. 1 inch slope for every 8 feet in length. • Distance from house or other structure. Usually 6 feet. • Hole spacing on pipe. 2 rows of holes 6 inches apart.
5. Install a sump pump to remove water.
Why and when should you install a French drain? Large amounts of storm water or melting snow runoff that pool (or flood!) in your yard signal that you might need this type of drainage system. Other indications include: • High relative humidity in your basement (usually above 60%) • Musty odors and/or visible mold in the basement • Wet, darkened or bulging walls • Water spotting which appears on floors, concrete slab or wall joists • Stains or cracks in your foundation. Foundation cracks result from excessive moisture accumulating in the foundation walls and then freezing. IMPORTANT: If you already have a French drain installation, call for expert inspection should you notice any of the trouble signs listed above.
Laura Firszt writes for networx.com.
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DEAR MONTY
Owning real estate with no will or estate plan is problematic
RICHARD MONTGOMERY
R
eader question: My grandparents did not leave a will. All their children passed except three sisters. My mother and several siblings passed. One of the grandchildren has been paying taxes for years, and another has been paying electricity. Do these three sisters have the right to sell timber and leave the grandchildren out? Monty’s answer: Every state has a law that describes the disposition of an estate when a person dies without a will. The
code in each state is different. The fact that the living sisters have allowed other progeny to contribute to expenses may be a legitimate claim to the recovery of those costs. State law may also speak to that question. If they have already said “no,” consider seeking two legal opinions as to your options. At this point, you are asking for a view you are not engaging the attorney. If it is speculation on your part, consider arranging a family meeting, or possibly having one of the grandchildren meet with one of the sisters. There is no mention of the size of the property or the value of timber. This information is essential to understand. For example, 20 acres of walnut trees may be more valuable than 100 acres of basswood. Individual payouts will be less as the number of descendants increase. Do the three sisters have children?
What is the total number of grandchildren? Has there been a conversation with each sister? Have they have jointly declared that they will not reimburse the expenses made on their behalf?
There are choices for family members 1. Accept the decision and set it aside for the future. The sisters may ultimately pass the property, and the proceeds of the timber sale to these relatives. 2. Start a conversation utilizing a mediator to act as an arbitrator. There are many advantages to this method of solving disagreements, not the least of which is mediation is less confrontational than a legal proceeding. The mediation process involves an agreement upfront that both parties will abide by the mediator’s decision. 3. If the sisters decline to mediate, decide on which attorney to utilize. It is unclear in the information
provided here as to the quality of the relationship between the family members. With grandchildren paying operating costs, it appears positive on the surface. Often, family members do not like to discuss death or dying and all the emotions that go along with it. Work hard to proceed on a path that results in progress toward fairness and a solution where the relationships are intact. It is OK to have misunderstandings, and they do happen. It is also OK to communicate it openly between the parties. Richard Montgomery is the author of “House Money - An Insider’s Secrets to Saving Thousands When You Buy or Sell a Home.” He is a real estate industry veteran who advocates industry reform and offers readers unbiased real estate advice. Find him at DearMonty.com.
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