Protecting Your Home from Spring Floods

Protecting Your Home from Spring Floods

Everyone knows that their home is not immune to water damage, and you must do all you can to protect your property against any eventuality. While your homeowners insurance might cover damage from burst pipes, damage from weather-related floods will not have coverage at all. Either way, by minimizing the chances that water will do damage to your home, the better you will be able to avoid a significant financial challenge in the future.

Taking proactive steps to protect your home from water damage does not have to be a challenge. Start the process by seeing what your home insurance covers, and then considering how you can shore up your home well before rainclouds form.

1. Your Roof Is Your First Line of Defense – Everyone knows that your roof is your primary protection from rainwater. It protects both the rest of the home’s structure and everything (and everyone) inside. Therefore, if it is not keeping out the rain, it is not keeping your home secure.
   Have your roof inspected at regular intervals, and in the meantime, keep an eye on it yourself. Look for signs of leaks, holes in the roof or missing shingles. If you can isolate these problems early, then you are going to prevent a minor problem from growing into massive property damage. Given that small leaks are often not covered by home insurance at all, it is up to you to make the repairs while the problem is in its infancy.
2. Clean Your Gutters – Whether you have roofline gutters or other drainage systems around your home, you must keep these waterways clean. They will direct water away from your home as it accumulates during heavy rain. If they have damage or clogs, they could cause backups that will do considerable damage to your home. Clean your gutters at least seasonally, and if you notice existing damage, make repairs as soon as is practical.
3. Check the Site’s Grading – Most modern homes are built with comprehensive grading systems that allow water to flow away from the home once it reaches the ground. As a result, the ground around your dwelling needs to be higher than the ground at street level. If this is not the case, then water could pool around your home rather than running off. If you notice grading issues, then contact a landscaper to learn more about what can be done.
4. Sewers and Sanitation Lines – A burst water line might be covered by home insurance. However, a backed-up sewer, overflowing sump pump or clogged drainage pipe will not. To get such coverage, you might have to add a special endorsement to your policy. However, this does not excuse you from doing all you can to prevent these accidents. Have these lines inspected and flushed regularly?
   By being proactive, you can protect your home against many causes of flooding damage. Still, you will want your property insurance to be ready to protect you just in case.