Clear the downspout outlets on an invited Reading rowhouse block (2026-07-18)

Reading, Pennsylvania — one of the poorest small cities in the country — is street after street of brick rowhouses whose downspout boots have been clogged for years. Blocked outlets pour roof water against shared foundations and feed the basement damp that drives families out of otherwise sound houses. Standard: Older-housing envelope drainage practice per HUD Healthy Homes; SDG 11. Proof: Before/after photo per outlet plus a count Method (Older-housing envelope drainage practice per HUD Healthy Homes; SDG 11.): 1. Walk the invited frontage and locate every downspout outlet and boot. 2. Clear each by hand and hand auger until water runs free. 3. Reseat loose elbows to discharge away from the foundation. 4. Bag the debris for collection. 5. Photograph each outlet before and after with GPS and date. Done when: Before/after photo per outlet plus a count

Where

Invited rowhouse blocks, South of Penn, Reading, PA 19602

Pay

$80 proposed

This packet is not funded yet, so this figure is a proposed price and not money waiting in escrow. If a buyer funds it, approved proof settles that price onchain. If nobody funds it, approved proof earns provable credit toward the work instead of cash. You see which before you claim, never after.

Proof

Before/after photo per outlet plus a count

This is exactly what gets it approved. Nothing settles without it.

Level

entry

Open until

2026-10-17

How this work is done

A documented method, so this packet comes out the same whoever does it. Typically 30–60 minutes. Method of record: Ground-level (no-ladder) gutter downspout extension, splash-block and debris clearing to route roof runoff away from a rowhouse foundation and shared party wall

Bring

• gloves + trash bag (debris)
• downspout extension or splash block
• garden hose (flow test)
• camera

Steps

1. 1. ASSESS: photograph the downspout outlet and the ground/foundation area it drains to; check whether water is pooling against the foundation or a neighbor's party wall.
2. 2. Clear any reachable debris from the downspout outlet and the ground-level elbow by hand, from ground level only — no ladder, no roof access.
3. 3. Fit and secure a downspout extension or splash block so discharge routes at least several feet from the foundation, away from the party wall and any basement entry.
4. 4. Flow-test with a garden hose at the gutter's ground-level outlet and photograph the water routing away from the foundation.

If it does not match the plan

• The gutter trough itself or a second-story downspout section needs clearing/repair -> STOP at ground level; name the roofline-gutter job (credentialed crew) instead of climbing.
• Standing water already inside the basement -> flag to the occupant immediately; this ground-level fix does not address existing intrusion.

What counts as done

• Downspout outlet and ground-level elbow clear of debris
• Extension/splash block routes water measurably away from the foundation
• Flow-test photo/video showing water routed away, not pooling
• Ground-level work only — no ladder or roof access used

Proof is measured against these, not judged by taste.