Your home: Something to long to get away from via a well deserved vacation – but all the while a gathering spot for your friends, the roof over your children’s heads, the storage unit for all the junk you’ve collected over the years, and your biggest investment.
While certain aspects of home ownership are monotonous and predictable, such as your mortgage and insurance payments every month, there is one aspect that is as unpredictable as it gets: mother nature.
When travelling, it can often become more apparent as to just how disastrous a flood can be. These are things we tend to take for granted in our day to day lives.
Mother nature can damage or completely destroy a home with no warning and with no mercy. One of the most devastating, and, unfortunately, common, of these natural events for homeowners is flooding.
While you cannot prevent a natural disaster from occurring, there are steps you can take to help your home ride out the storm.
Before your next destination vacation, take a moment to consider the following, if not to help ease your mind and your costs if the water starts to rise while you’re out globetrotting.
Ensure Your Land is Properly Graded
The best protection comes from doing your best to prevent the water from reaching your home, and the best way to do that is to ensure that the water flows away from your foundation, not towards it.
Ensure Your Homes Weeping Tile is Functioning Properly
Your homes weeping tile is responsible for draining water that has accumulated around your foundation. Your foundation is concrete, and concrete is porous, meaning water will get through it; keep your weeping tile in good working order and keep the water draining away from your basement, not leaking into it.
Fix Foundation Cracks
You may not be able to stop the water from getting into your home during a flood, but you can slow it down. Fixing cracks throughout the foundation will remove channels the water would have otherwise flowed through.
Keep Your Belongings Off the Floor
If water does get into your home, the best way to prevent any more damage and loss is to ensure that your belongings are kept off the floor. Keep any boxes and objects you have lying around on shelving units, and try to keep expensive or highly sentimental things on the main or second level of the house, rather than in the basement.
Keep Electrical Systems Raised
Try to ensure your electrical sockets, switches, and panels are well off the ground, and above your properties listed ‘flood level’. Water damage to your homes electrical circuit can be costly and can even cause other problems, such as fires.
And finally…
Get Flood Insurance!
Many homeowners assume that flood damage is covered under their home’s insurance policy, but typically it is not. It is so important to go through your coverage and, if necessary, purchase additional flood insurance. While it is not a preventative measure, make sure you know what is covered; it will go a long way if your home or belongings are damaged by water.
Know the Risk and Be Prepared
Although you cannot control Mother Nature, you can, to an extent, control the amount of damage she does to your home. These tips for protecting your home from floods will help you prepare your home for the worst.
The most important thing to remember is to be prepared and to do what you can to ease the damage that you cannot prevent.
