6 Steps to Protecting your Home from Flooding

1. 6 Steps to Protecting your Home from Flooding The rainy season is known to wreak havoc on a house. It is simply not possible to keep a house dry when several inches of rain falls in a short period of time. There are, however, many steps that homeowners can undertake in order to ensure the safety of their homes during such heavy rains. First and foremost the priority has to be to prevent your home from flooding. Discussed here are some steps that all top realtors agree you can undertake to prevent flooding during a rain storm. Step 1: Clean those Drains and Gutters The first step you need to take before the rainy season starts is to make sure that your gutters and drains are clean. The aim of having gutters and drains in and around the house is to make sure that the seepage water flows away properly. If there is a blockage in these systems, then the water is either going to overflow or it is going to back flow, causing the entire sewage to land up inside your home. The gutters and drains also need to be cleaned regularly to keep them free from any kind of debris.

2. Step 2: Fix the Leaks in your Roof The roof of the house keeps out bad weather and rain. It is made to protect you when a natural disaster strikes. So it is an absolute necessity to keep your roof in prim and proper condition. If there is any leakage or cracks in your roof, get them fixed well in time for the rainy season. Do not let the damage become big enough to allow for water seepage from the roof. It is also a good idea to waterproof your roof so that these problems can be avoided in the future. Step 3: Know the Risk Level Posed to Your Home Not all houses are built the same and not all of them are built at the same area. If your home is located in the floodplains then of course you are at a far higher risk of flooding as compared to the homes built far away from any natural source of water. In spite of this, no matter the location of your home, with today's worsening weather conditions, every home is at a flood risk. It is always a good idea to assess the risk of flooding in your home and be prepared for emergencies. Step 4: Flood Insurance is a Must According to Lisa Harris realtor with a top real estate company, flood insurance is a must to protect your home in today's world. Flood damage can cause a significant dent in your finances and flood insurance helps to cover the cost of the damage caused by water. While taking flood insurance, make sure you pay attention to what all is included and what all is excluded in the policy.

3. Step 5: Make Last-Minute Arrangements You should also move the furniture around, the carpets and rugs, electronics and other electrical goods and belongings to upper floors of the house to keep them safe. Install a generator or a battery backup in case the power goes during the storm. Keep an eye out for early signs of leakage into the house. A damp or moist smell in any room is usually a sign that somewhere there is a leakage. These are simple things that can easily be done beforehand and they will save you a lot of heartache if at all a flooding does happen. Step 6: Pull the Power if Water Starts Seeping If, after all your efforts, you see that water has started seeping into the house, it is a good idea to turn off the electricity. Water conducts electricity like nothing else and the last thing you want is to get electrocuted while wading through water inside your own home. There is no sure way of protecting your house from the wrath of nature. However, by performing these small steps, you can at least rest assured that you have done everything from your end to deal with the flooding. Source: https://fastexpertinc.jimdo.com/2017/09/22/6-steps-to-protecting-your-home-from- flooding/