DIY guideCottage

Walk the road in after the thaw

Before you drive in, walk the road: look for washouts, blocked culverts, soft spots and trees down, and keep clear of anything caught on a line.

8 steps

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Park at the start and walk the road in. Soft spring ground can give way under a car.
Look for edges eaten away, deep ruts and gullies where water has run down the road.
At each pipe under the road, look at both ends. Water should run through, and the road over it shouldn't dip.
Rake leaves and sticks away from a culvert's mouth from the bank.
Never stand in fast water or reach in where it's pulling.
Push a boot into dark, wet patches. Mark soft spots and potholes with a stick so nobody drives into them.
Drag small branches to the side. Leave big trees, and anything caught on a line, alone.
Photograph washouts and fallen trees, with something in the shot for size, and note where they are.
A road washed out or sinking, or a tree too big to drag: don't drive it, and ask Handyman for a grading crew or an arborist.
A tree on a power line: stay well back and call the power company.

Handyman says: Washed out? I'll find a grading crew.

Free for every home. Handyman asks a few questions, then books a pro it trusts.