500 Commonwealth St has been demolished
The average lifespan of an American style house is 70-100 years. That expected lifespan can also shorten up a good bit if regular maintenance and care is neglected. This is especially true when it comes to water/drainage mismanagement.
In the picture above, you can see freshly disturbed soil indicating where the house used to be located. This property is one of our projects located at 500 Commonwealth St in Durham.
In this particular instance, the house had sustained heavy foundational damage due primarily to gutters draining right at the foot of the foundation for decades. In our great State of North Carolina, many areas have a heavy clay-based soil. Clay tends to expand when wet, and contract when it dries.
This movement nature of clay can create a real headache for a homes foundation. It is very, very important you properly manage the moisture around your house. One of the easiest things you can do is make sure your gutters are draining away from your home. Many experts recommend getting gutter extensions that go at least 5′ from your foundation.
Another important area is to make sure the grading around your house is conducive to allow for storm water to drain away from your foundation. Correcting improper grading can be expensive and involve lots of work, but as they say, an ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure.
Unfortunately, the house at 500 Commonwealth St was too far gone by the time Weitz Real Estate became involved with it. However, with some simple prior planning, you can prevent these major issues!
If you are in need of a house or structure demolish and removal, please call us at (919) 355-4102
