10 Ways To Prevent Home Flooding & Water Damage

No home is impervious to flooding. Even so, there are ways to reduce the risk of sustaining major damage in the event of a flood due to adverse weather or a problem with the plumbing. By learning more about how to stop flooding in and around your home, it's that much easier to get through a crisis with relative ease. 

There are many strategies that will help prevent flooding in your home; all it takes is knowing what those strategies happen to be. Here are ten examples of what can be done now, and hopefully keep flooding and water damage to a minimum. 

You may not think those tiny cracks in the foundation mean a lot, but they are actually important to address. It's not just the fact that the foundation supports the entire structure; there's also the matter of water seepage to think about. 

Water seeping into the home via those cracks can cause significant water damage in a house, often before the property owner knows what's happening. Opting to have the cracks located and sealed will eliminate a key flooding issue, and make the home a little less vulnerable. 

It's easy enough to shrug off something like a leaky faucet or a drain that's running slowly, but resist the temptation. The same is true with a pipe that seems to have a leak around one or more joints. Instead of thinking you'll have the problems resolved when you get around to it. Take care of them now. 

You accomplish more than keeping the water bill lower. Any plumbing issues have the potential to place additional stress on the entire system. Over time, that means more of a chance of a system failure. See taking care of the little things now as insurance against waking up and finding a sheet of water running down the dining room wall. 

A trip to the rooftop can go a long way toward reducing the risk of flood damage. That's because debris can collect in the gutters over time. Cleaning out the gutters, along with the attached drain spout, will make it all the easier for rain to be directed away from home. That means the rain doesn't puddle on the roof and possibly end up draining into the attic. 

While you're at it, find out if the present gutter system can be outfitted with some sort or cover or screen. Doing so would keep leaves and similar debris from collecting in the gutters proper. You will still need to clean off the roof from time to time, but the task of keeping the gutters and drain spouts clear will be a lot simpler.

The property around your home may include outdoor drains that empty directly into a city drainage system. Perhaps there's a drainage ditch along the back of the property. It's in your best interests to make sure both of these remain cleaned out at all times. 

As it relates to the ditches, getting rid of any debris ensures that water can run into the system with ease, and not back up onto the property and the home. Those drains are also effective in preventing rainwater from ever getting to the house in the first place. These are two areas that many people overlook when attempting to learn how to stop flooding in their homes or on their properties. 

If your property does not include either of those features, it might be a good idea to consider adding them. The cost would be minimal, especially if you compare it to the expense of dealing with extensive damage from flooding.

You can use the concept of land grading to create a natural way to reduce the potential for flooding. With this approach, you grade or level the slope of the land so that water runs away from home. Hopefully, that means the water will end up in a city sewer system or at least in that drainage ditch that you keep cleared out. 

An expert can provide some suggestions on how to make use of landscape grading as one of your flooding solutions. You may find that by building up some areas while creating a slight slope in other spots goes a long way toward avoiding damage after heavy rains. 

While you do want basement windows that can be opened from time to time, it's also important for them to close tightly. When they are closed, the fit must be tight. In fact, it must be so tight that there's no chance of water flooding in the house due to rain or flood water getting into the basement by way of those windows. 

You don't have to permanently seal the windows in order to achieve this effect. There are structural solutions that will ensure there is a barrier around each sash that ensures nothing can get through, unless you choose to open a window. A professional can evaluate the windows and help you compare the most appropriate solutions. 

If you have a basement, then you need to have a sump pump on hand. In the event that water does get into the basement, or the water heater fails and floods the space, the water needs to go as quickly as possible. A sump pump can ensure the space is kept dry, and will prevent water damage of many types. 

While you're at it, invest in a secondary power source that will allow the sump pump to operate if the primary source fails. Severe storms can lead to power outages. With a sump pump that can continue working, you won't have to worry about the basement flooding while the power company works to restore service. 

Gas generators to power the sump pump may work, if you can position them away from any water. Another solution today is to invest in a solar energy array, complete with battery storage. That will ensure the pump can keep running, even if the flooding threat lasts for a few days. 

Land grading is not the only strategy you can use to make the property less susceptible to flooding. Do you know that strategically locating elements like trees and shrubs can help to direct water away from home? That's important if you live in an area where flooding from thunderstorms is common. 

Mulch can also be a means of slowing the pace of fast-moving water. Not any mulch will do, and you don't want to go by looks alone. Opt for mulch with more density and weight; it will be less likely to shift, and will help slow down any water that is approaching the home. 

In that same vein, you may be able to incorporate what's known as flood skirting into the landscape design. This will also help direct the flow of water away from the house, and hopefully into a ditch or sewer. As one of the lesser known tricks about how to protect your home from flooding, there's a lot you can learn about the use of flood skirting. 

There are times, such as a local river flooding, that will threaten to overcome all of your efforts. That's when it's time to bring out an old standby capable of creating a barrier and preventing water from getting to the house. That standby is the basic sandbag. 

Sandbags are a form of flooding protection that's been in use for centuries. As the name implies, water-resistant bags are filled with sand, then arranged in layers that are tall enough to create an effective barrier. At the least, the bags will slow the waters progress. In the best-case scenario, they will prevent the water from getting through at all. 

While there are ways to make the home more flood-proof that you can see with ease, there may be other options that are less apparent. Choosing to call in a professional who can inspect the place will identify those more subtle issues. That in turn leads to finding the best solutions to flooding and having the chance to make good use of them before any flooding can happen. 

If you really want to proactively determine how to reduce the risk of flooding, an assessment by the team from Best Option Restoration is your best bet. From the foundation to the peak of the roof, a team of professionals will know what to look for . Thanks to their efforts, you will know what is putting the home at a greater risk of flooding, and what can be done to change the situation. 

Contact a professional today, and arrange for your home and property to be inspected. Doing so could provide insight into how to make a few changes up front and prevent a lot of flood damage. You can bet that the effort will pay off in a big way. 

Call Best Option Restoration to learn more about how to protect your home from flood damage, and what can be done if damage has already occurred. 

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