Yikes, indoor waterfall—that sounds like a nightmare. Glad you caught it and learned from it though. I always get paranoid about plumbing stuff, especially heading into winter. Last year I wrapped my outdoor faucets with insulation covers just to be safe. Might seem excessive, but hey, better safe than sorry...right? Your slope-check idea is smart; I'll have to remember that next time I'm messing around out there.
Indoor waterfalls are definitely not the kind of water feature any of us signed up for, haha. Glad you caught it early and turned it into a learning experience, though. Honestly, wrapping your outdoor faucets isn't excessive at all—it's just smart. A couple winters ago, I skipped doing that because I figured, "Eh, it's mild enough around here," and ended up with a cracked pipe that flooded part of my yard when things thawed out. Lesson learned the hard way.
Your slope-check idea sounds pretty clever, too. I've never thought to actively check slopes around the house, but now that you mention it, I realize my rain barrel overflowed last spring because the ground wasn't sloped away properly. Guess I have another weekend project on my list now... Thanks for the heads-up!
- Wrapping faucets is definitely worth the effort. Had a client last winter who skipped it, thinking the insulated siding was enough. Ended up with a burst pipe behind the wall... not fun.
- Good call on checking slopes too. I've seen plenty of basements flooded just because water pooled around foundations after heavy rains. A quick slope adjustment can save you major headaches later.
- Also, don't forget to occasionally check sump pumps—especially before spring thaw hits. Learned that one the hard way myself a few years back.
- Definitely second the sump pump check. Mine quit on me right before a heavy rain last spring... basement looked like a kiddie pool by morning. Learned my lesson there.
- Also, don't underestimate checking hose bibs inside and out. Had one freeze up because I forgot to disconnect the garden hose—rookie mistake, but easy to overlook.
- Good reminder about slopes too, water pooling is sneaky and can cause a ton of headaches down the line.
"Definitely second the sump pump check. Mine quit on me right before a heavy rain last spring... basement looked like a kiddie pool by morning."
Had a similar thing happen, and now I'm paranoid about that sump pump. Anyone know if battery backups are worth the investment? Seems pricey, but maybe cheaper than cleanup costs...
