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.
