Your storm preparations for an onslaught of bad weather can be easily thrown into chaos and disruption if heavy rain and severe storms turn into your worst nightmare. Water is no friend to the walls, floors, furniture, or electrical systems in your house – and can pose an even greater threat to the integrity of your entire home.
No house can escape damage in a storm, but water damage prevention measures will go a long way toward ensuring your repairs don’t turn into a financial burden. Regardless of where you live, whether you experience annual storms or merely the occasional downpour, preparation can significantly lessen storm water damage.
Inspect and Maintain Your Roof
Rain isn’t much to worry about until it’s got an entry point, like a roof opening. When such an opening occurs-perhaps through a cracked piece of roofing or a lost shingle-the results can be serious and include substantial roof leaks.
Before summer weather brings on potential thunderstorms, take time to check your roof for such problems as: loose shingles, worn sections of roofing, blockage in your roof’s valleys, and damaged roof flashing-then call us for repairs as soon as you find a potential problem.
Keep Gutters and Downspouts Clear
Debris, leaves, and branches in your gutters can trap rainwater, causing water to pool near your foundation. This can eventually lead to basement flooding and damage to the foundation and home.
Keep your gutters cleaned a couple of times a year, and make sure your down spouts are far enough away from the foundation to properly direct water.
Seal Windows, Doors, and Foundation Cracks
This is moisture that commonly travels into the home through cracks surrounding doors, windows, or even the walls of your foundation. You will need to periodically survey these locations to ensure there aren’t any areas that could use a refresh of waterproof sealant or caulk.
Catching any cracks and openings will enable the home to combat storm water damage with fewer issues the next time that it begins to rain.
Protect Your Basement
Basements pose even a higher risk during storms since rainwater collects around the building at basement levels. So, installing a sump pump, checking to make sure all the drain lines work, as well as waterproofing your walls will lower your risk of basement flooding. Also, make sure all important items in your basement are placed high enough so they are above the floor just in case of a flood.
Prepare Your Yard for Heavy Rain
Your landscaping can be a key element in flood prevention. Grade your yard to be sure that any water that falls around your home flows away from the house instead of towards your house.
Clear dead tree branches from your property before they may fall and clog storm drains during storms, and be sure storm grates are kept cleared of leaves and trash.
Act Quickly After Water Damage
Even with the most attentive prep work, sometimes severe weather takes out the battle defences and causes damage. If your basement or structural foundation seems constantly soaked and wet to the touch or if you detect any standing water or soggy drywall, don’t procrastinate.
Acting immediately during an emergency restoration event allows you to reduce further damage, inhibit mold proliferation, and safeguard the core structural integrity of your entire house. Experienced and certified professionals use commercial drying instruments and tools to eliminate hidden moisture.
Don’t Ignore Small Warning Signs
Small concerns – such as a musty door in the house, damp spots on a wall, flaking paint, or a minor roof leak – might go unnoticed, but they generally signify moisture entering a property somewhere. By tending to the details promptly, costly water repairs, as well as those associated with storm damage repairs, will be much less likely.
Water damage prevention is cheapest when it consists of regular check-ups and maintenance
Conclusion
Storms May Be Unpredictable – Your Preparation for the Weather Won’t Be! While you can’t control when and where an emergency storm occurs, you certainly can prepare your house in advance to save time and money by properly implementing water damage prevention to your home, improving home flood protection, and securing necessary flood prevention steps. If the worst occurs due to storm water damage or excessive downpours, it’s of utmost importance to restore your Baltimore area home as soon as possible.
Luckily, Move Fast Restoration is the answer you’re looking for with emergency, fast-response restoration services for any flood damage or mold removal your home might encounter from the storm.
