Take Precaution And Lessen Water Flood Damage To Your Home

Feb 06 2010

Take Precaution And Lessen Water Flood Damage To Your Home

If you live on the flood plain, then you know you need to lessen the effects of flood damage. These floods can’t be predicted, so making sure you have steps in place to protect the integrity of your home is important. You should always follow the evacuation plans if they come up, and remember to keep your safety first.

One of the first things you need to do is to determine how likely you are to be in a flood, and what the estimated flooding damage could be. Even living in an area where flooding is possible, you will have different levels of possible damage. There are flood maps you can view to see this, and you may have to contact your city public works department to get a copy of this.

If you live where flooding is likely, then you need to take steps to protect some of the appliances. You need to place them at least 12″ from the flood line, or move them to upper levels of the house. You may also want to install your furnace in the ceiling to be able to fully prevent any damage to that

In the basement, you need to have a working drain in the floor. You may also want to have a plug installed that will float up when water gets to it so it can drain, since this can work without you having to be down there during the flood. You will need to check this during the year so that it remains working and free from debris.

You may also want to have a professional install a back flow valve onto your sewage line. This can keep the sewer from backing up into your home during a flood. It can also help to save you a nasty, and very costly, repair bill by preventing it from happening in the first place.

You should make sure that the breaker box and switches are also above a projected flood line. Ensuring that the lines are free from cracks and breaks in the coating can keep the system from shorting out. Not only can this be safer, but it can reduce the cost to fix it if it does blow out.

A sump pump can also be installed. If you get one, you need to make sure that you have an alternative source of power to work it in a flood. This removes water quickly and can keep damage to the walls and foundations lower then letting it drain on its own.

You should also have enough flood insurance on your home. While you may not be able to get this through a traditional agent, the government offers plans that can cover you as an owner or renter. There is a waiting period for the policy, so you need to get this started as soon as you can.

You will not be able to prevent all the damage from flood that may occur, but taking a few steps can help reduce what you sustain. No matter what you choose to do, the safety of you and your family should come first. Having an emergency plan can do the most to reduce the damage from floods.

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