Dealing with a basement flood and the water damage that comes with it can be an overwhelming ordeal. How do you get rid of the water? Is the water dangerous? And what about the damage to your house and belongings? Not all disasters can be stopped, but you can set your house up to prevent basement flooding. There are a few key areas to maintain and keep your eye on to prevent water damage from flooding. If you want to prevent a flood, keep reading.
The first way to prevent your basement from flooding is by having a good drainage system. When it rains, you want the water to move away from your house. If the water sits stagnant next to your home, it can find weak spots and find its way inside. To prevent this, ensure that water naturally runs away from your house. This can be done by slanting soil to be higher next to your house and lower the further away the water goes. You also need to make sure that your drainage pipes are doing their job well or else you will get water pooling up.
Older or poorly made foundations can potentially have cracks and weak points in them. These spots are perfect for water to slip in and flood your basement. If cracks aren’t fixed, water will keep coming in and making the crack worse. To prevent this you will need to maintain your foundation, look for cracks and weak points, and have them fixed. It is easier to fix a crack than to deal with the water damage a crack can cause. A house is only as strong as its foundation, so you should spend some time making sure it is as strong as possible.
Basement flooding doesn’t just happen because of outside water coming in. There are gallons upon gallons of water running through the pipes of your house. If those pipes aren’t healthy or are old, they can burst and flood whatever area they are in. A burst pipe in a basement can go undetected for a while resulting in large amounts of water-damaged possessions. To prevent your pipes from bursting, make sure you take care of them. Don’t let them get too cold or hang things on them, and make sure to replace old pipes. Maintaining your pipes will ensure they keep doing their job.
You can’t always prevent flooding. There are circumstances that are out of your control. However, if you care for and maintain your home by following these steps, you will be reducing the likelihood that your home will flood. Here at American Fire and Water Restoration, we understand that nature is unpredictable and flooding does happen. If your basement does end up flooding, you don’t have to deal with the water damage alone. We are always here to help. In the case of basement flooding, give us a call at (847) 514-9305.
It always seems to be the nightmare of homeowners, the dreaded leaking appliance. Homes come with a lot of appliances and therefore a lot of potential water damage. The problem with appliances is there can be a leak in the back or bottom where you can’t see results in serious water damage. You may think your washing machine, refrigerator, dishwasher, and garbage disposals are your friend but they can also betray you if you’re not careful. Here are a few tips to keep the water damage at bay and your appliances your friends and not foes.
The lifespan of appliances can really come down to the care that you give them. If you are hard on your appliances and make their work harder, they will wear out sooner. Once a machine wears out, it is ripe for leaks and water damage. Maintenance can look like a lot of different things. Ensuring you don’t overload your washing machine will help it last longer. Making sure your refrigerator doors stay closed as much as possible in the summer will make it easier for it to stay at a low temperature. This also means having your machines repaired by a professional when you notice it is having difficulty working well.
No matter how good you are to your appliances, they all have a lifespan. Once that lifespan is coming to an end your appliances can quickly produce larger problems than simply deciding on a new model. Old machines can become invisible sprinklers. Once the waterworks begin, the cost of replacing the machine quickly leaps. It goes from the cost of a machine to the cost of repairing water damage plus getting a new machine. To avoid this unpleasant situation know how old your appliances are and the average lifespan for that make and model. When it hits that mark and starts acting its age, then act fast and update your appliance.
Sometimes it doesn’t matter if you maintain your appliances and they are still young. Machines break down. That is why it is so important to be aware and watch your appliances. By watching how your appliances are performing, you can catch a problem before it becomes a big problem. Notice when your appliances make new noises are having trouble cleaning things or staying cold, or every once in awhile there are drips. Watching and noticing can mean the difference between a little and a lot of water damage. And you can easily do it.
Appliances are in our houses to make our life easier. They wash our clothes and dishes for us and keep our food at the right temperature. When they are working well, they are our friends, but it is a fragile relationship. If they start leaking and produce water damage, they have changed from helpful to harmful. You can’t avoid water damage forever. For the times when you can’t avoid water damage. American Fire and Water Restoration is here to help. So when an appliance has changed relationship status, give us a call, (847) 514-9305.
