Is anyone else sick of the rain?
A rainy day can do more than just dampen your mood– it can turn your home and property into a soggy mess.
While it may be impossible to stop every water issue, there are things you can do to protect your home from water damage caused by heavy rain we have recently experienced.
Tips for preparing for heavy rain include:
• Install (or have a contractor install) a sump pump. Sump pumps drain water from the inside of a structure to the outside. Make sure you opt for a battery backup sump pump system so that electrical power failures don’t cause your sump pump to fail. Consider installing an alarm so you’re notified if your pump loses power.
• Have your chimney checked. Cracks in your chimney let water seep in, so hire a professional to check yours.
• Have your roof inspected regularly. Fixing issues as they arise can spare you from big repairs down the road.
• Clean (or hire a professional to clean) your gutters. Backed up downspouts and gutters can cause damage to your roofline, soffit, or other areas of your home.
• Make sure the seals around your windows, doors and other openings are in good condition. If they aren’t, reseal them with caulk. Make sure any wood window and door trim is painted to help prevent wood rot and structural damage to your home.
• Check your property for low-lying areas that may pose a drainage issue if the ground becomes too saturated. Find a source of concern? Make sure you contact a landscaping and drainage professional to have the area looked at before it becomes a costly problem you can’t control.
• Flood insurance: Remember that your homeowners insurance policy doesn’t automatically include flood insurance. Flood insurance must be purchased as a separate policy, either privately or through the National Flood Insurance Program. Typically there is a mandatory waiting period before it will go into effect (30 days for policies purchased through NFIP).
• Homeowners insurance: Consider asking your agent about adding sewer or drain backup coverage to your homeowners insurance policy. This endorsement provides coverage if water or sewage backs up into your house through sewers or drains, or overflows from inside a sump pump or other system designed to remove water that drains from your foundation.
• Septic System: If you have a conventional septic system, heavy rainfall that comes with floods can make the system stop working. As rainwater floods over your drain field, the effluent from the septic tank will have no place to drain because the ground under the drain field is already saturated with water. This could make the septic waste start backing up in the house and/or overflow onto the lawn. If your drains become sluggish, the toilets or drains gurgle or water is backing up into the floor drains or basement it may be time to call a professional. To avoid possible problems make sure to have your septic tank pumped on a schedule (usually every 3 years depending on usage), keep possible entry points sealed and waterproof any electrical connection in the system. During the rain flush the toilet only when necessary and reduce the number and duration of showers, if possible.
• Well: While is it very unlikely that heavy rain will affect a well-built and functional water well, there are still some things to inspect regularly and keep on top of. A missing or damaged well cap can serve as a passageway for surface water and contaminants into the well. If your water is brown after a heavy rain you should call a well contractor to check it out and run a water test. It may be necessary to chlorinate and sanitize your well.
Regular maintenance and upkeep is your best preventative measure. We want you to keep “Singin’ in the Rain” and not “Crying Me a River” !
