Floods can happen anywhere. So, as a homeowner, you must be prepared with knowledge of how to prevent flooding in home. According to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), a flood of an inch of water can cost you over $25,000 in losses. Flash floods and natural disasters are not the only things that can cause flooding in your home. Leaky pipes, malfunctions, and broken water mains, among other unexpected household issues, can also cause flooding in your home.
While insurance can cover most of the damages caused by floods, flood-proofing your home can reduce the potential for damage to the foundation and your belongings. Moreover, there are several changes you can make in your home to lower flood damage. They go further to help reduce the time and expenses of doing home repairs after flooding. Keep reading to learn more about preventing flooding in your home.
Proper Drainage From Your Home is Essential
The location of your home is probably not ideal – or may be at the bottom of a hill or valley, increasing the chances of flooding compared to other homes built uphill. That means more water will flow into your home, putting you at a higher risk.
You need to invest in adequate drainage, regardless of your home location. Proper drainage can prevent flooding in your home. You don’t want to count losses in property damage due to flooding – they are expensive and devastating. To protect your house from flooding, you must ensure that your home has a well-functioning drainage system.
Tips on Preventing Flooding in Your Home
Preventing flooding in your home may include either expensive renovations or free and simple maintenance. Well, if you’re looking for how to prevent flooding in home, here are several tips that can help you.
Repair Leaks in Your Pipes and Roof
Leaking pipes and roofs can let water into your home, causing serious damage. You need to check for wet spots in your ceiling and whether there are pools of water in the basement.
Regularly assess water pipes and look out for issues such as rust, visible water drops, and buckling. If you discover any leaks, fix them as soon as possible.
Remove Debris From Your Drains
You can prevent home flooding by removing leaves and debris from your drains. Rake off the leaves and sticks in your yard and place the waste in a container. Remove leaves and debris from your storm drain and put the material in a receptacle for yard waste.
Keep Gutters Clean
When your downspouts and gutters are clogged, they cause water to pool around the foundation. Therefore, it’s essential to make rain gutter maintenance and repair routine.
Endure that you remove leaves and debris from gutters. Add leaf guards to keep debris away. Also, adding downspout extenders can help prevent water pooling around the foundation – they can direct water up to 10 feet farther from your home.
Cover Your Window Wells
Your basement window wells often trap rain and groundwater. Window well covers are a worthwhile investment since they add extra protection for your home against flooding, even if your windows are new. Your basement will still get enough sunlight if you use clear acrylic window well covers.
Check the Grade of Your Surrounding Soil
Water should move away from your home rather than flowing directly towards it. The soil around your house should angle away from the foundation toward the yard. So, you need to check the grade of your surrounding soil. If it’s tilting towards your house, use heavy soil containing sand and clay to regrade it until you achieve a slope of at least one-quarter inch per foot.
Reduce Runoff
Runoff can cause flooding in your home. You must minimize it as much as possible to prevent flooding in your home. Rainwater harvesting is the solution. You can collect rainwater in barrels and cisterns.
Also, you may establish a rain garden in your home. The rain garden will absorb, collect and filter rainwater runoff from driveways, rooftops, and other areas allowing water absorption.
You can also use permeable pavements instead of concrete or asphalt. Also, growing a green roof can help prevent flooding in your home. Green roofs can extend the life of your roof materials by blocking ultraviolet radiation and stabilizing extreme temperatures. The roofs not only slow rainwater runoff but also provide attractive greenery and reduce your home’s heating and cooling expenses.
Fill in Cracks by Applying Sealants and Coatings
You should seal off any cracks in your foundation to prevent water from entering your house. These cracks, if ignored, can lead to flooding and weaken the structure of your house.
So, if you see any minor cracks in the walls, windows, or doors, use masonry caulk or mortar to fill the gaps. It goes a long way to prevent flooding in your home.
Examine Your Trees
Aggressive tree roots can wreak havoc on your foundation and make your home vulnerable to flooding. Plant such trees farther away from your house – approximately 10 to 20 feet away. They include aspens, maples, white fir trees, etc. You should remove damaging trees close to your home to avoid future issues.
Waterproof Your Valuables
Store your valuables in locked, waterproof containers. Keep essential items in a waterproof case, including your passports and birth and academic certificates. Ziploc bags may seem perfect for keeping your documents. However, they can be much safer in containers designed to withstand flooding.
Place Your Appliances Above Flood Level
Despite taking precautions, water can still find its way into your home. If it happens, you need to place your internal and external appliances above the flood level.
Elevate these home appliances on concrete locks, including:
- Your Air Conditioning Units
- Generators
- Water Heaters
- Washers and Dryers
You can build a platform for these appliances to keep them dry during flooding. If your home is two or three stories, move your valuables to one of the higher floors to protect them in the event of floodwaters reaching your first floor.
Install a Sump Pump
A sump pump maintains a dry basement by pumping water from your home to a higher ground level or designated drainage area. For the sump pump to remove water in your home, it should be well functioning. In case of a power blackout, you should have a battery-powered sump pump.
Know Your Home Well
When flooding occurs, you may have to turn off your home’s electricity, gas, and water at the mains. So, you need to know where these are and how to turn them off before an emergency strikes safely.
That means you may have to access the mains in the dark, and you’ll need a torch and some spare batteries. The most suitable torch are LED torches with a high IP rating of up to 65.
Do You Have the Right Insurance?
If you’re still wondering how to prevent flooding in home, an essential thing you can do to protect your house during floods is to have the right insurance coverage. And, if you have homeowner’s insurance, does it also cover flooding?
Although floods are a leading cause of home damage, the standard homeowner’s insurance doesn’t cover flooding. You can purchase an additional insurance policy to protect your property. Furthermore, you don’t have to be a homeowner to possess flood insurance.
You can easily get flood insurance as a tenant to protect your belongings. Since everyone is vulnerable to floods, you’ll need one even if you live in a low-risk zone.
Several components playing a role in determining whether you’re in a flood-risk region are:
- Flood history of the area
- Topography
- Rainfall data
- River flow data
- Wind velocity
- Tidal surge
- Existing and planned community maps and building development
- Flood control measures, etc.
Home flooding can result from heavy rains, poor drainage, and rapid accumulation of snowmelt. Therefore, you should protect yourself from floods by obtaining the right insurance.
Evaluate Flood Risk in Your Home
The first step to prevent flooding in your home is to determine the likelihood of flooding in your location and if your home is built to withstand potential flooding. Thanks to the Federal Emergency Management Agency, there’s a flood map service showing general flood risk based on your region.
You just need to key in your address and press enter, and you’ll see the flood zones in your region. The map uses number markings to indicate flooding risks in a particular area and specific structures, including bridges, dams, levees, etc.
Prevent Flooding in Your Home With ONIT Home
Now that you know how to prevent flooding in home, taking proactive measures to prevent flooding in your home is a significant step towards protecting your property and loved ones. Conducting routine maintenance, observing local weather, and investing in flood prevention tools can significantly mitigate the potential damage caused by floods.
At ONIT Home, we understand that your home’s and your family’s safety is paramount. We offer various flood prevention products and technology customized to meet your needs, from smart water sensors, flood sensors, and leak detectors to automatic shut-off valves.
To safeguard your home from flooding, you need a trusted partner with the right products, technology, and expertise to address your needs appropriately. ONIT Home is your trusted partner. Contact us today at 1-833-433-0331 or fill out our online form to get started.