How to Protect Your Denver Area Home from Flooding
Your home can easily sustain water damage because of the numerous ways it can occur. In fact, that is why water damage is known to be the most common form of property damage. There are internal property issues like appliance malfunctions and pipe leaks, and there are natural causes like excessive rainfall and flooding that can lead to water damage. Water damage caused by flooding is a top cause for damage in homes.
To protect their property, homeowners will often invest in homeowner’s insurance. While a good idea, it is important to know that flooding will not be covered by standard homeowner’s insurance. That said, you will need to get an additional policy to obtain flood coverage. It will cost more, but the coverage will give you some peace of mind in the event your home is ever harmed by flooding.
However, when working to protect your home from flooding, you should do more than just get an extra insurance policy. There are various tasks you should take to protect your residential property from being damaged by flooding.
Continue reading to learn more about how to protect your Denver area home from flooding.
Gutter Maintenance
Your home’s gutters are an essential component in providing protection against water damage. Rainfall and other precipitation will gather in the gutters, and the downspouts will redirect the water far enough away from your property to prevent it from draining close to the house. But if the gutters are clogged or even misaligned, then they cannot properly perform the function they were designed for.
For example, if foliage and other debris have accumulated in the gutter, then they can create a blockage that prevents water from running through. Instead, water will pool up, spilling over the edge once it has reached capacity. The water then lingers near your home’s foundation and might seep into it via cracks and openings.
Knowing this, take the time to regularly clean out and inspect your gutters. Check that your downspouts are directing water far enough away from your home. If you notice signs of damage, then have repairs made or replacements installed. If your downspouts need to push water further, then you can add extensions.
Lawn Grading
Your lawn may contribute to home flooding if its slope, also known as its grade, is not steep enough or slopes towards the home. Only so much water can be absorbed by the ground, so whatever cannot be absorbed by the soil will pool in your lawn. If the slope isn’t steep enough for the water to run away from your home, it will pool near the home which increases the risk of water damage. If you’re unsure about lawn grading, then reach out to a professional for insight and help.
Foundation Inspection
Water can easily make its way into your home through cracks or openings in your foundation. So, take the time to inspect your foundation for any signs of concern. Use caulk or mortar to fill in cracks and openings.
Sealant Applications
Aside from the foundation, you may want to apply sealant to your home’s walls and around windows and doorways. This will provide extra protection in keeping water from leaking into your property.
Sump Pump Installation/Maintenance
Sump pumps are a great addition to your home in regard to protection against flooding. They are installed in the lowest part of your basement, collect excess water, and pump the water away from your home so it doesn’t linger and cause harm.
If you do not already have a sump pump installed in your home, then you should consider getting one. If you do have one, then make sure you check it regularly to ensure it is working properly. You do not want to have any issues with it when you need it most.
Additionally, it is a good idea to invest in and install a backup sump pump that runs on a battery. That way if there is a power outage, your home is still protected from flooding by the battery-powered sump pump.
Professional Water Damage Restoration Services
Even with the necessary precautions, your home may still experience harm from flooding. In such a case, do not hesitate to seek flood restoration help. The longer the standing water remains in your property, the more damage there will be — including potential mold growth. With immediate water mitigation and flood restoration, however, you can limit the damage and the cost of the restoration.
ServiceMaster Fire and Water Restoration can help with your flood emergency through the professional water damage restoration services we provide to homes and businesses in the Denver, CO, metro area and the surrounding communities in Elbert County. We provide water mitigation and flood restoration on a 24/7 basis to ensure that we can promptly help in your time of need.
With help from our professional water damage restoration services, your residential property will be restored to the safe, clean living environment it was before the flood.
