3 Strategies for Protecting Your Home from Flood Damage
Those who live in flood-prone areas often assume that there is little they can do to protect themselves, aside from purchasing flood insurance. But while it's true you can't control Mother Nature, the fact is that there are plenty of ways to help protect yourself from the exorbitant costs of flood damage restoration. This article will present three of the most effective strategies.
Install a sump pump in your basement.
Sump pumps are one of the most effective ways of keeping your home from flooding—even in the midst of the heaviest storms. The idea is fairly simple: first, a special hole, known as the sump pit, is excavated in the floor of your basement. This will act as a container for excess water in times of flooding. The pump itself is responsible for displacing this unwanted water safely away from your home.
Sump pumps can be broken down into two main varieties: pedestal pumps and submersible pumps. Pedestal pumps, the less expensive variety, sit above the floor of your basement. Submersible pumps, on the other hand, are installed inside of the sump pit. This allows them to pump water more effectively. However, it also means they're more prone to experiencing mechanical problems as time goes on.
Whichever style of sump pump you opt for, consider installing a battery-powered backup system as well. This will ensure that the pump continues working in the event that your home loses power.
Raise major appliances up off the floor.
Sometimes there's nothing you can do to prevent water from entering your basement, even with a sump pump. For that reason, it's important to protect major appliances—water heater, furnace, washer and dryer—by getting them up off of the ground and away from damaging flood water. For a temporary fix, use cinder blocks. For a more lasting solution, consider having cement pedestals installed.
Invest in some automatic shutoff valves.
Not all flooding occurs as a result of water coming from outside of the home. In fact, washing machines are one of the more common causes of home flooding. That's because the water valves leading to your washing machine are generally kept in the on position, meaning if anything happens to go wrong with either of the supply hoses, the result is a veritable deluge.
Luckily, you can prevent this from happening through the installation of an automatic shutoff valve. These handy attachments will automatically shut off the water supply when the machine is not in use. They'll also stop water flow should they detect any water pooling up around the base of the machine.
If the unlucky day comes when you do require flood damage restoration, contact a representative from a company like Complete Restoration Services.
