This week, no questions necessary

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Do I rebuild or replace my house, and do I lift it or leave it? If you saw flooding in your home, understand that this won’t be the last flood. I regularly examine soil boring reports, and note that the groundwater from new reports, compared with the same property from 1985, is 2 to 3 feet higher.

Floodwaters don’t just travel across the surface; they saturate down to the water table. The higher the water table, the faster the saturation, and the greater the pressure on slabs below the house. I inspected many homes with slabs that cracked like eggshells. This kind of force is real, and not to be ignored. Gear up to lift the house, if you can. If not, change the use of lower spaces so that your most valuable belongings can be easily saved.

More to come. Good luck!

© 2012 Monte Leeper. Readers are encouraged to send questions to yourhousedr@aol.com, with “Herald question” in the subject line, or to Herald Homes, 2 Endo Blvd., Garden City, NY 11530, Attn: Monte Leeper, architect.

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