IIf you’re wondering what this year’s rain actually means for your St. Joseph, MO home, here’s the short answer: check for wood rot, look at your brick and foundation for tuckpointing needs, recheck your grading and downspouts, test your sump pump, and look over your driveway for new cracks. After a spring that brought lots of rain to parts of Buchanan County and a soggy summer since, this year’s checklist looks a little different than usual, so here’s what I’d actually be looking at.
Check for WoodRot on your Home's Exterior
Wood that’s been damp on and off for months rots a lot faster than wood that dries out between rains, and this year gave a lot of exterior wood no real chance to dry out.
What to check yourself:
- Deck boards and the ledger board where the deck attaches to the house, especially anywhere leaves or mulch have been trapping moisture against the wood.
- Fence posts right at the ground line, that’s almost always where rot starts first.
- Fascia and soffit under any gutter section that’s been overflowing, overflow means water running down the wood face all summer instead of through the gutter.
- Garage door bottoms and exterior trim near grade, anywhere wood sits close to consistently wet ground.
- Press a screwdriver or your thumb into any wood that looks discolored or soft. If it sinks in easily, that’s rot, not just staining.
When to call a pro: If you find soft or spongy wood in a structural spot (deck ledger, a support post, framing you can see), or if what looks like a small soft spot turns out to be bigger once you start probing it. Cosmetic surface staining on trim is usually a repaint; structural softness is not a weekend fix.
Brick, Mortar and Foundation Walls
Prolonged ground saturation is exactly what accelerates mortar erosion and pushes moisture through brick and block, which is why this is a bigger deal this year than most.
What to check yourself:
- Look for mortar joints that are crumbly, recessed, or missing chunks, especially on foundation walls and any brick that’s been sitting near saturated soil.
- Watch for efflorescence, that white, chalky, powdery residue on brick or block. It’s a sign that moisture has been moving through the masonry and left mineral deposits behind as it evaporated.
- Check for new cracks in the foundation, especially horizontal cracks or ones wider than a pencil line, versus old hairline cracks you’ve already seen before.
- Look at brick for spalling, where the face of the brick is flaking or popping off. That’s usually moisture that got into the brick and then froze, or in this case, moisture that’s just been present too long.
When to call a pro: New efflorescence combined with a damp or musty basement, any new or widening crack, or spalling brick all warrant a mason or foundation specialist taking a look. Old, stable hairline cracks and mild, long-standing efflorescence are usually fine to just keep an eye on.
Grading & Downspouts
Your grading and downspouts have been working overtime all summer, and saturated soil doesn’t drain the way it used to, so water that used to run off now has nowhere to go but toward your house.
What to check yourself:
- Walk the perimeter of your house after the next rain and watch where water actually goes. It should be moving away from the foundation, not pooling against it.
- Make sure downspout extensions are actually extending water several feet away from the house, not just dumping it at the foundation wall.
- Look for spots where mulch beds or soil have settled or washed out, creating a low spot that slopes toward the house instead of away from it.
- Check window wells for standing water or debris blocking drainage.
When to call a pro: If you’re seeing water intrusion in the basement or crawlspace despite clear downspouts and decent grading, that’s often a bigger drainage or grading project, not a DIY fix. A landscaper or foundation drainage specialist can regrade problem areas before winter.
Sump Pump, Crawlspace, and Basement Moisture
If your sump pump has been running more than usual this year, fall is the time to make sure it’s actually ready for the freeze-thaw cycles coming next, not after it’s needed in the middle of a January thaw.
What to check yourself:
- Pour a bucket of water into the sump pit and confirm the pump kicks on, drains it, and shuts back off properly.
- Check the discharge line outside to make sure it’s clear and still directing water well away from the foundation.
- Look and sniff for a musty smell in the basement or crawlspace, that’s often the first sign of moisture problems even before you see visible staining.
- Check exposed crawlspace framing and any stored boxes or belongings for dampness, staining, or visible mold.
When to call a pro: A sump pump that’s not keeping up, visible mold beyond a small spot you can clean yourself, or a musty smell that doesn’t clear up after running a fan or dehumidifier for a few days are all worth a call to a waterproofing or mold remediation specialist.
Driveways, Sidewalks, and Patios
Saturated, expansive soil, which is common in this part of Missouri, shifts more than usual after a wet stretch like this one, and concrete and pavers move with it.
What to check yourself:
- Look for new cracks in your driveway, walkway, or patio, or existing cracks that have visibly widened this year.
- Check for heaving, where a slab has lifted or tilted compared to the section next to it, which is often a soil movement issue rather than just normal settling.
- Walk sidewalks and steps for new trip hazards where sections no longer sit flush.
When to call a pro: Minor hairline cracks are usually cosmetic. Heaving, a slab that’s pulled away from the house, or steps that have become uneven enough to be a safety concern are worth having a concrete contractor assess before you’re dealing with it on an icy morning.
A Couple More Things to Consider
These take minutes each and are worth doing regardless of how wet the year’s been:
- Swap your furnace filter and, if it’s been more than a year, get it serviced before you’re depending on it every day.
- Disconnect garden hoses and drain outdoor spigots before the first freeze to avoid a burst pipe.
- Flush your water heater to clear out sediment that builds up over the year.
- Flip your ceiling fans to run clockwise, which pushes warm air back down into the room.
- Check smoke and carbon monoxide detector batteries. This is also just a good habit twice a year regardless of season.
If you have more worry about this or think it’s time to call in that professional, I have a great experts I can point you to. Just give me a call! (913) 707-1705
