Common Spring Water Damage Hazards And Helpful Prevention Tips
By: 911 Water Damage Experts
The wonderful season of spring comes with its pros and cons.
Spring is known for heavy rain. This can lead to unwanted basement floods and sometimes worse.
Let’s take a look at some of the most common water damage hazards that spring brings and tips that will help you prevent a home crisis emergency from happening.
Common Spring Water Damage Hazard 1: Gutters
With rain being a big part of spring, it’s important to clean your gutters before they clog.
A clogged gutter means that the debris left inside blocks the natural flow of water thus creating an overflow. This can eventually lead to water leaking into your basement windows and a sudden downpour.
It’s important that you have a fully-functioning gutter to lead the water away from your house freeing it from unnecessary water damage.
Also whenever you have the chance, take a look at the downspouts too and make sure they are functioning well, especially before the heavy rain season starts.
Replace and repair any damaged bit.
Common Spring Water Damage Hazard 2: Sprinkler System
If you’re one who has invested in a ground sprinkler system, make sure it’s maintained as it can become a water damage hazard.
What we can suggest in this case is inspecting and thoroughly cleaning your ground sprinkler system before the spring season arrives.
Test it for any leaks and make sure it is functioning properly.
In those cases where the sprinklers are not functioning properly, they are known to remain open and distribute water even when they are shut off.
In other cases, the sprinklers may distribute too much water when they are turned on, creating a pool of water that can ultimately reach your home and do some damage.
Just remember that if you don’t do regular check-ups on your sprinkler system, you might end up paying the price by dealing with a flooded home.
Common Spring Water Damage Hazard 3: Basement
And of course, there is no full spring cleaning without taking care of your basement!
This is the one part of your home that you would need to focus on to prevent any damages from occurring.
Let’s take a look at some of the parts that pose a higher risk of being damaged if not functioning on an optimal level.
Check The Foundation For Damages
When spring rain comes, if there are any cracks in the foundation of your home, you are in for a ride.
Just before spring arrives, make sure to head down to your basement and check for any cracks in the foundation.
Look for cracks and any form of damage.
It’s better to repair sooner rather than later.
You can use a masonry repair compound to repair any cracks that you may find.
Just make sure to inspect thoroughly. Anything that looks suspicious should be treated before any actual water damage happens.
Try to avoid doing a surface job.
Remember that any type of damage can emerge when smaller cracks appear, so it’s better to prevent them from happening in the first place.
If you are not certain how to repair them yourself, we advise you to call a professional water damage company and have them take a look at it and repair it in its entirety.
Alarms For Any Water
When the flood is detected in its early stages, plenty of long-term and substantially larger damage can be prevented from occurring.
A water alarm is quite a simple solution to all of this.
You can just take one water alarm and have it installed in your basement.
These types of alarms are mostly used in areas that are more likely to get flooded.
They are placed almost on the ground and the alarms go off as soon as water touches them.
This is something that could really come in handy for you, especially in those days when you are not home.
The sensor can very easily send a text message or an alarm sound to your phone as soon as it gets in contact with water.
In this case, you can get a jump start on the situation and deal with it before it gets any worse.
Before installing this type of alarm, please remember that it would be better if it has a power backup, in case there is a strong storm knocking on your door and knocking the power out in your home.
Invest In A Sump Pump
Have you ever thought about this idea?
Installing a sump pump in the basement seems like a pretty good idea.
This can save you a lot of money in repairs. It pumps the water out of the flooded areas before it has a chance to accumulate and do some serious damage.
If you are looking into setups for a pump, the best way to do that would be to set it under the floor of the basement.
However, if that is not an option in your home, then you should definitely get a portable pump and set it up whenever it is necessary.
When using a portable pump, you need to place it in the lowest part of your basement, without any objects or obstacles around it.
If you already have a pump, the only thing you need to take care of is checking there is not any build-up debris in there and checking that it is all plugged in and ready for use.
One of the biggest spring hazards is the damage made by water.
When you are making sure your home is prepared for the spring season, one of the things you have to take special care of is the quality of your basement, and whether it is protected enough to hold the entire fort down in case of a flood.
Try to avoid postponing the pre-spring cleaning of your basement and make sure that your home is a safe place.
If you have any questions about basement flooding water damage and restoration feel free to chat with us on our Facebook fan page or call us at 1-833-WE-DRY-IT any time 24/7/365 all the time, we’re there when you need us!
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