Flood and water damage is the number one risk to homeowners in the United States. According to insurance industry research, a staggering 98 percent of basements will experience water damage at some point in their lifetime. That’s a lot! So that begs the
question, what can be done to help prevent your basement from flooding?
First, it is important to recognize that in some instances flooding and water damage simply isn’t preventable despite your best efforts. If you do experience a water damage in your home don’t think you are on your own. Call in a professional cleaning and restoration team to restore your home. At MA Restoration, we can help answer questions, work quickly to prevent additional damage and help you navigate the insurance issues.
Before it gets to that, though, here are some simple steps you can take to help keep that water out of your basement and hopefully keep you a part of the two percent who never have to experience a flooded basement.
This is one of the simplest yet overlooked things that you can do. It is extremely easy for gutters to get clogged up with leaves, dirt, sticks, and other debris. When this happens, it stops the gutters from properly redirecting water away from your house, allowing water to pool up and seep into your house. Obviously cleaning your gutters regularly will keep them free of debris and clutter and allow the water to drain freely. It’s also important to have your rain gutter drain at least five plus feet from your house. If your rain gutter is too close you home the solution is simple. The price for extensions to your rain gutter is low and installation is easy.
It is extremely important to check your sump pump regularly to make sure it is clear of debris and blockage. If your sump pump backs up, you’re going to have a much much bigger mess than any natural flood. If your sump pump is portable, make sure it is positioned in the lowest part of your basement and is connected to a power source. You may also want to consider having a reliable backup generator to hook up the sump pump. Otherwise, a disaster may wipe out your main power source and render your sump pump useless.
Cracks in your foundation are invitations for water to come in and damage the integrity of your home. Inspect the exterior foundation of your home and the walls and ceiling of your basement often. If you find small cracks fill them in with epoxy as soon as you can and contact a professional if the problem is more serious. If you find more than one foundation cracks, you may want to have your foundation inspected to ensure water hasn’t already seeped into your foundation. This can weaken your foundation and, if not fixed, cause an even bigger problem down the road.
All in all, water damage to your basement is a very real problem no matter who you are. As you follow these steps your basement will be much safer, but even if damage does occur MA Restoration is here to you get back to life quickly and as stress-free as possible.