Your home can be surprisingly fragile. Environmental factors like the wind and the sun can damage your home significantly. But one of the more dangerous threats to your home is water. Though essential in many ways, having too much water in your house can result in a variety of problems. Here are some of the ways you can ensure that your home is secure from water damage.
Maintain Your Roof Properly
The best way to protect your house from water damage is to ensure that your roof is in good condition. A leak in your roof will have the water coming in, especially during the rainy season. Regularly inspecting the roof can help you to find leaks easily. Besides that, you should also ensure that the gutters need to be kept clean. Dirt in them can cause spills and blockages that will have water pouring down the sides of your house.
Ensure Proper Yard Drainage
With rainwater, it usually ends up in your yard. If you do not plan properly, you can expect the water to end up damaging your home. The water can seep into the foundations of your home and start flooding your basement. To avoid this, you should plan your yard drainageso that most of the water flows away from your house. You still need some moisture around your house’s soil, but avoid having too much.
Install a Sump Pump
The last line of defense that your house can have against flooding is a sump pump. It is found in your basement and pumps out the water when it hits a certain level in its sump pit. Sump pits are where you direct most of the excess water on your property, which usually happens when it is flooding or the groundwater is rising. When it activates, it will pump the water out to a designated area outside of your house. If your home faces a lot of rain or is near the coast, a sump pump is a good investment.
Have Your Plumbing Checked
One good idea on how you can prevent water damage is to have a regular check of your plumbing. Have it done at regular intervals so that you can find out if there are any issues. The important thing to remember is that you should not do it yourself. Look around for an expert on plumbing in Salt Lake City or other nearby areas. With a professional plumber doing the checking, they will know the potential problem areas so that they can find dangerous situations much easier.
As for your inspection schedule, the main check should be once a year. That is the most thorough check. But you need to call in professionals when the seasons change to be sure that your plumbing can handle the weather. You should also call them in if you plan to go on a long trip to ensure that your pipes are in excellent condition.
Keeping Things Dry
Water is surprisingly damaging in both the long and short term. A sudden flood can devastate your rooms, while a small leak can eventually cause mold and warped wood. Both of these can cost you considerable amounts of money, so take the time to protect your home from this threat.
