20 Things Home Inspectors Teach Seniors to Keep an Old House Dry for Under $20

A home inspector walks through 20 cheap checks, most under $20, that keep an older house dry and head off water damage and rot before waterproofing quotes of $3,000 to $10,000 come into play. The video starts with a 1950s brick Cape Cod in western Pennsylvania where a damp basement corner and white powder on the block wall traced back to a downspout ending six inches from the foundation. It then counts down from number 20 to number 1, covering bathroom fans, humidity, hidden plumbing leaks, rotted wood, caulking, gutters, grading, and crawlspaces. Each check lists what to look for, the low-cost fix, and when to call a plumber, carpenter, or contractor. What's covered in this video: The $9 flexible vinyl downspout extension that matches a $5,000 waterproofing quote on the Pennsylvania Cape Cod. The printer paper test for a weak bathroom exhaust fan and why exhaust must vent outdoors. A $12 digital hygrometer and the EPA's advice to keep indoor humidity below 60 percent. A plastic wrap and duct tape test that tells condensation from water seeping through a basement wall. Efflorescence, the white mineral powder on masonry, and why painting over it fails. Reading the water meter before and after two hours of no use to catch slab leaks. Checking under-sink supply connections and slip nuts with a dry paper towel. Braided stainless toilet and ice maker supply lines, with the Connecticut Insurance Department loss figures. Reading the water heater serial number and placing a $14 leak alarm. Rocking the toilet to find a failing wax ring before the subfloor rots. Screwdriver probing of wood sills and door jambs, plus the drain slots on aluminum storm windows. Cutting out old caulk, using foam backer rod, and testing gutters with a garden hose. Sprinkler heads that hit the siding, mulch piled against the foundation, and clogged basement window wells. Slab and patio joints that funnel rain into the foundation, and the 2 percent slope rule. Fixing bare dirt and loose ducts in the crawlspace with a vapor retarder. Measuring downspout discharge and the 6-inch-in-10-feet grade rule, with the cost of regrading compared with waterproofing. Mentioned in this video: 1950s brick Cape Cod, western Pennsylvania, downspout extension, waterproofing, efflorescence, block wall, basement, crawlspace, vapor retarder, bathroom exhaust fan, digital hygrometer, EPA, dehumidifier, InterNACHI, water meter, slab leak, supply lines, braided stainless steel lines, ice maker line, Connecticut Insurance Department, toilet wax ring, water heater, Energy.gov, leak alarm, Insurance Information Institute, InspectAPedia, aluminum storm windows, backer rod, polyurethane sealant, gutters, sprinklers, NC State Extension, mulch, window wells, Angi, mudjacking, asbestos, lead paint Chapters: 0:00 The $9 Fix vs $5,000 Waterproofing 1:10 #20 Bathroom Fan Paper Test 1:54 #19 Hygrometer Humidity Check 2:35 #18 Plastic Wrap Wall Test 3:19 #17 White Powder on Block Walls 3:59 #16 Water Meter Leak Test 4:46 #15 Under-Sink Leak Check 5:54 #14 Toilet and Sink Supply Lines 6:42 #13 Ice Maker Line Behind Fridge 7:22 #12 Water Heater Age and Leak Alarm 8:04 #11 Toilet Rocking Test 9:27 #10 Rotted Sills and Door Frames 10:11 #9 Storm Window Drain Slots 10:50 #8 Exterior Caulk Joints 11:34 #7 Gutter Hose Test 12:16 #6 Sprinkler Heads Hitting Walls 12:54 #5 Mulch Against Foundation 13:33 #4 Basement Window Wells 14:46 #3 Driveway and Patio Joints 15:47 #2 Crawlspace Ground Cover 16:58 #1 Downspouts and Yard Grade Disclaimer This video is general home maintenance information, not a substitute for an on-site inspection, and every house, climate, and soil type is different. Costs, product prices, and statistics come from the sources named in the video and may have changed. Tasks involving electrical work, plumbing behind walls, structural wood, or gas and water heater components belong with licensed professionals, and homes built before 1978 or 1980 may contain lead paint or asbestos that call for proper precautions. Building code references are summaries and local codes vary. Organizations and brands mentioned are owned by their respective holders, and their mention does not imply endorsement.