How To Prepare Your Home For A Flood

Water is the worst enemy of any home. While minor leaks are not a problem, water damage caused by floods can be devastating.

And while no homeowner wants to deal with the destruction that floods can bring, the fact is that these natural disasters are a common occurrence in some regions of the world, specifically coastal areas.

Also, flooding is possible in almost every home, even in less flood-prone areas. Situations like burst pipes or clogged storm drains can bring significant amounts of water into your home, causing damage to its structures.

As such, it’s best to always be prepared for the worst. In this article, you’ll learn valuable tips on how to floodproof your home.

1. Look For A Water Damage Restoration Specialist

If you’re expecting flooding in your area due to severe weather conditions, you want to be prepared not only for the incoming flood but also for dealing with the aftermath.

You must find a trustworthy water damage restoration company like Water Damage Specialists that you can call after the flooding event. Visit their website to learn more about their services.

By having the contact of a specialist on hand, you save time searching for a reliable provider. Instead, you can call your chosen company and book their services once the storm has passed so they can provide quick services and prevent further damage.

This is particularly beneficial if your area is expecting flooding, which increases the demand for water damage restoration specialists.

2. Evaluate Your Home’s Flooding Risk

To better protect your home, it’s essential to determine how likely it is to suffer a flood in your area. Most countries and states offer a flood map service that shows the general flood risk by location. A flood map includes zone markings that indicate the flood risk of a region.

3. Raise Your Home

If you live in a flood-prone area, your local building department may have specific guidelines on building requirements to reduce flood damage. In most cases, this means elevating your home.

Coastal communities and those living near riverbanks or lakes commonly have raised homes. These homes and buildings are built on pilings and posts so that only the building’s foundation is exposed to flooding.

For both new and existing homes, elevating the structure can be expensive. However, raising your home also raises its flood level. Since even an inch of flood water can cause significant damage, raising your home above the flood level can significantly protect your home.

4. Elevate Electrical Components

Electricity and water are a bad match. If you’re expecting frequent flooding in your area, you want to hire a qualified electrician to raise electrical components.

Electrical switches, sockets, and wirings should be elevated at least 12 inches above your home’s flood risk level. It reduces the damage a flood can cause to your electrical system while also preventing safety hazards during the recovery period.

5. Seal Your Home

When a flood occurs, water can leak into homes via cracks and gaps in the siding and foundation. As such, you want to seal your home to minimize water seeping into your home.

You can apply weather protection sealant around the basements, walls, windows, and doors. If there are small cracks in the foundation, seal them with caulking. For bigger cracks, you may want to consult a structural engineer for more comprehensive repairs.

6. Clean Your Home Drainage

Your home’s gutter and drainage system prevent water issues on your roof and foundation. If clogged, the gutter and drainage system can cause standing water on your roof and near your foundation, causing leaks inside your home.

To prevent this issue, it’s important to clean your gutters regularly. If you have tall trees, checking and cleaning your gutters more frequently is essential. You should also consider adding gutter covers to prevent debris accumulation and promote proper drainage.

7. Invest In A Sump Pump

Sump pumps are a valuable asset when your home is prone to flooding. Typically installed in basements, a sump pump help sucks water out of a hole and move it to another location.

Sump pumps can be hooked into your existing power supply or powered by a battery. You want to choose pumps that can operate both.

Storms that bring floods cause electric power outages for days or weeks. As such, you want a sump pump that can operate without electricity.

Takeaway

While you can’t stop floods from occurring, the above tips can help prepare your home and minimize the damage they can bring. Regardless of how well you prepare your home, your and your family’s safety should always be a priority.

When flooding occurs, especially because of a severe storm, don’t think twice about leaving your home and seek shelter immediately.