Tis the season of spring melt, and with that comes the potential for flooding. Experiencing a flood in your home is never fun, and leads to so much more work than you think it will. Carpets need to be replaced, dry wall torn out, even framing might need to be treated. It adds up and is something best avoided if at all possible. Living by any body of water, river or lake, poses a threat to your home – but flooding is not limited to those who live next to bodies of water. It can happen to any home that has inadequate drainage during times of heavy melt or rainfall. Here are three strategies to help you guard against the unfortunate event of a flood.
- Make sure the basics of your home maintenance are taken care of on the regular. If the gutters are full of clutter, they cannot do their job in directing water away from the house and it will end up running into the roof causing damage, or down the side of the house and potentially into any cracks or windows. Furthermore, sealants around windows and doors should be checked and repaired as needed, and the roof should be repaired in good timing or after undergoing compromising damage. All of those little things we put off in home ownership could actually make a huge difference in protecting your home against flooding.
- Be certain that your lawn is also graded to direct water away from the house. Proper home construction and landscaping takes into consideration the settling of a foundation, which can create a downhill slope for which water can run. If this slope is toward the building, water can pool up against the house potentially seeping in or creating cracks. A smart addition is the instalment of weeping tile, which sits below ground level away from the home and draws water away from where you don’t want it to sit.
- If you do live in a floodplain, or in an area of high risk for flooding, make sure you have a sump pump installed in your basement. This small pump is installed in the lowest place of your house, likely the crawl space of any basement, and collects water in its sump pit from the soil underneath the house though natural water migration or its own drains. It can then pump the water out of the pit and away from the building to ensure everything stays as dry as possible. It is a perfect option anywhere there is risk of the water table running high, especially due to natural spring run off.
While many people assume that their insurance will cover them for water damage, the truth is that this is not the case for all insurance policies. These three strategies will help you prepare for the worst, but be sure to get to know what’s included to protect your most important investment. Questions about whether or not you’re covered? Contact us today, and we’ll be happy to walk you through your policy and options.
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