How to Fortify Your Home Against the Dangers of Spring Flooding

Homeowners across the country have always had to prepare for their individual seasons of particularly hazardous weather. Those with homes in the hurricane belt take precautions from June to about November, while those in the midwest and northeast prepare for terrors of late winter and early springtime.

In all reality, the early months of spring mark the long awaited end of winter, and for many people it can be a ray of sunshine. The happiness of the soon-to-be warm weather is usually short lived, however, due to the potential threat waiting to make its appearance.

Flooding is a peril of homeowning that many people are all too familiar with. The abundance of remaining snow melts rapidly, creating a surge of excess water that can cause significant damage to your home and surrounding infrastructure.

Water damage can be costly, too. An average home of around 2,000 square feet, which floods with just one inch of water could conceivably suffer an estimated $20,920 in damage costs.  

So it’s safe to say that the spring brings a new set of challenges for many homeowners. Choosing to use one of the various measures of defending your home against the threat of flooding can prove to be an invaluable preemptive decision. Below are some ways to ensure your home is well fortified for this spring’s rising tides.

Barely Any Effort

1. Remove the snow: One of your first and foremost goals once the weather starts to warm is to get rid of all the snow around your home. If there is still snow built up around the base of your house, you’ll want to make sure to quickly move it. As the temperature begins to rise, the snow will quickly melt and seep into your home’s foundation and basement.
2. Clean the gutters: This may seem like a menial task, but a properly functioning gutter system is essential to moving water away from your home. Clean any debris from the gutter as well as make sure all joints and connections are secured correctly. If your downspout has a drainage extension of some kind, be sure to clear that as well and point it away from your home -- preferably at a downhill slant.
3. Inspect the foundation: Give your foundation a thorough look over for any cracks or faults. As the ground thaws around the base of your home, the excess water will enter through any gaps or fissures in your foundation. If you find any defects, be sure to seal them immediately with caulk or other types of waterproof sealing. If the crack is significantly large, however, it could pose a serious threat to the house’s structural integrity and must be promptly addressed by a professional.

A Little Bit of Effort

1. Install a sump pump: Even though you should take measures to prevent water from entering your home, it’s also not a bad idea to take measures in case it does. Installing a sump pump can not only help manage water that happens to enter your basement, but it can also keep the water out completely if it isn’t overwhelmed. If you have a sump pump already installed, then you’ll want to clear any obstructions away from it and test it to make sure it’s working properly.
2. Keep drains clear: During a heavy rainstorm or rapid timeframe of melting snow, there will be a lot of stress on your home’s water removal systems and plumbing. Having a plumber come and check your main pipes as the spring months start to approach is a good way of making sure your home is prepared for the weather. With that said, you’ll also want to make sure you don’t dump anything down the drains from that point on, including grease, fats, oils, and other substances that might clog your pipes. Human and pet hair are other likely contributors to drainage problems, and over 70% of renters own pets as well as who knows how many homeowners. So whether you have an apartment or home, you’ll want to ensure your drains are well cleared. During any storm, you should minimize your overall water usage as well.

A Decent Amount of Effort

1. Make sure your property is graded: Coming back to proper drainage, the lot that your home sits on needs to be properly graded to ensure that water is ushered away from your home, not towards it. If your grading is level, then water will sit in large puddles where it falls, including around the base of your home. A proper downhill grade away from your home will drain the water away from your home, as well as any objects the water picked up along its way.
2. Have your roof inspected: You should have a roofing professional come and inspect your roof before any heavy rainfall and rising temperatures. Not only does the springtime present possibilities of water damage, but it threatens wind damage as well. In a typical setting, you should have your roof inspected at least once or twice a year anyway, so it’s advisable to have those inspections before and after the winter season. Faults in your roof that go unidentified and uncorrected could cause severe damage as the snow melts and the rainy season begins.

Don’t get fooled by the emerging sun and rising temperatures; you’re not out of the woods yet. Take the initiative and protect your home this flood season to ensure your summer only consists of stress-free relaxation.