Protecting Your Home Inside and Out From Flooding | SERVPRO of Bartow County

10/10/2022 (Permalink)

Experienced water damage in your home? Call SERVPRO of Bartow County to get the restoration process started right away.

Whenever water is involved in a storm, there is a chance of experiencing flooding in your home. Even if it is only an inch of water on your floors or in your basement, it can cause widespread damage and can be really expensive to repair.

You may not even be covered by flood insurance or qualify for government assistance either for various reasons, so it is important to have a plan in place to prepare on your own in advance of any incoming weather.

You have to pay special attention to the inside of your home as well as the outside when beginning your preparation work. While we are in a lower-risk area of flooding, it still is important to prepare for flooding in any part of our county.

Any sort of particularly strong thunderstorm or tornado event can cause widespread water issues, and you should always be ready to take action.

Start With the Outside of Your Home

If you have a gutter system in your home, it is important to make sure that it is functioning properly and is not blocked by any leaves or debris. Blocked gutters lead to pooling on your roof, which can slowly leak down your walls and into your home.

You can also prevent water from entering your home by adjusting how you landscape your property! If you like the look of mulch, try adding some to the landscaping around the walls of your home to help absorb some of that extra water.

You can also use a garden to your advantage. If you dig a garden, angle it away from your house so the water will flow to your growing plants instead of backward toward your house.

If your home runs on propane or utilizes a fuel tank, make sure any tanks are anchored to the ground. If you are able, moving any outlets off of the floor can reduce your risk of having an electrical issue as well if the water is high enough.

Addressing the Inside of Your Home

Your foundation helps support and stabilize your home, but if there is a crack in it, it cannot function properly and you will find a mess on your hands during the next storm. Seal up any cracks you find right away.

If your basement supports a sump pump, consider installing a battery-operated one to make sure that it will always work, even if the power goes out.

Addressing any flooding issues quickly can go a long way toward preventing long-term damage and eventual mold growth.

Floods don’t just come from weather events! Appliances and old pipes can be a source of an unwanted water problem as well. If your laundry machine or dishwasher has been acting oddly lately, it is best to investigate it right away to avoid coming home to a flooded kitchen one day. You can also purchase a leak sensor to set under any appliances that will sound an alarm if it senses water.

Our homes contain the things that are important to us, so it is crucial to make sure our keepsakes are protected as well. Store your pictures, scrapbooks or anything of sentimental value to you up off of the ground, and make copies of any important documents.

Having a copy or two of your emergency plan stored away safely is also a good idea so that you are always ready to tackle whatever sort of situation comes your way.

Experienced water damage in your home? Call SERVPRO of Bartow County today to get your restoration completed faster.