Heavy Rain Damage
Protect Your Home
Heavy Rain? Be on the Lookout for Heavy Rain Damage
Your home protects you from the elements. Heavy rains can weaken that protection. With a little maintenance and a lot of vigilance, it’s not hard to stay safe and dry and protect from heavy rain damage.
Spring rainstorms are a fact of life in many areas of the country. They help keep things green, even if they keep you inside. But when they get heavy, look at the potential impact all that water has on your home. The first step is finding and fixing any immediate problems soon. Take measures to prevent those problems from happening during the next downpour!
Where is all that rain going?
Your roof and gutters form a key line of defense for your home. In a storm, they’re vulnerable, because so many things can damage them. Trees, hail, and other objects can create weaknesses that lead to leaks in your roof. Check for missing shingles and other issues. And keep your gutters clear so all that water drains properly to prevent heavy rain damage.
Are you checking everywhere?
Water dripping from the ceiling is hard to miss. Water in your crawl space, however, can easily go undetected because hardly anyone ever checks there. Don’t forget to look down there after a storm for heavy rain damage to make sure everything is nice and dry. If you do see moisture, you’ll want to get it out with a sump pump as soon as possible. Avoid heavy rain damage
Another place to check is your home’s exterior, whether it’s siding, brick, or another material. Weak spots can be hard to see. Look at various times of the day in different lighting conditions.
Of course, you’ll want to make sure your doors and windows are properly sealed to keep the elements out, too.
What about around your property?
Storm water has to go somewhere. If your property doesn’t drain well, or if runoff goes toward your foundation, you could have problems. So watch for patterns, and grade property so it drains away from your home if possible. Always be wary of hillsides and tilting trees after heavy storms. The land might not be stable.
And don’t forget, during heavy rain, to keep storm drains clear of leaves and other debris. This can prevent flooding both on the streets and your own property.
What should you do during the storm?
During powerful storms, stay inside. This is not the time to check your roof or your exterior of your property. If there’s an emergency wait until you know it’s safe to go out. Monitor your interior, making sure no water is getting in. If it is, do what you can to alleviate the situation in the moment. Even if it means just placing something under a leak to collect the water. For more serious problems, though, remember that safety is the most important thing. If your basement is flooding, for example, don’t go down there. You could be trapped and even drown.
Thankfully, powerful storms only hit once in a while. Preparing for them, however, should be on your mind a lot more frequently. The next one could be tomorrow.
Heavy Rain Damage.
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