Water damage is the most common source of house insurance claims. Water damage can also be very expensive to fix. You must also make sure that any repairs have been done right, or you may end up with mold in your home.
Instead of having to worry about mold or expensive water damage, it is best to be proactive about protecting your home from water damage. For this reason, we have compiled our resources and put together a list to help you prevent any water damage in your home.
Table of Contents
Sump Pumps
Your sump pump is a critical piece of equipment in your home that is keeping your house from experiencing water damage. If you have a sump pump, you should be checking the following items to ensure you have an ideal working setup to keep the water out of your home.
Drain Away from Foundation Walls
If you have a sump pump, it is important to make sure that the sump pump is pushing the water away from your home. Usually there is just a small pipe that is about a foot long protruding from your home. You should extend this pipe to direct the water further away from your foundation walls.
Check and Test Your Sump Pump
Your sump pump plays an important role in keeping your house dry. There are different suggestions for how often you should check your pump, but 2-3 times per year is ideal. It is better to find out you may need to replace your pump before it is too late.
Install a Backup
Sump pumps do fail and if you are not home when this happens, it can cause a lot of water to enter your home. You can buy battery powered backups if the power goes out and you can also buy another sump pump to stay on standby in case the first sump pump fails. If your sump pump is running often, this may be something you should research more about.
You can read more about sump pumps in our article Sump Pumps and Home Insurance.
Clean Your Eavestrough and Downspouts
There can be a surprising number of items that get caught in your eavestroughs. The debris that can gather in your eavestroughs can cause the water to spill out over the side instead of going down your downspouts. This can cause the water to land right next to your foundation.
Slope Your Soil Away from Your Home
Next to your foundation walls you should have a higher level of soil that gradually slopes down and away from your home. Ideally you want the water to run away from your foundation walls and not toward it.
Inspect Your Roof
Your roof is important to keep the water out of your home and shingles have a hard time lasting in the Canadian weather. If you notice curling of your shingles, it may be time to have a qualified professional look at your roof and give their opinion.
Run Appliances When You Are at Home and Awake
Running your appliances over night or while you are away can be incredibly tempting as it is very convenient. The only problem is that if there is a problem, you might not know about it before it causes massive damage. This can not only happen with water, but also fire (clothes dryers).
Buy Leak Detection Devices
Technology has come a long way. You can now buy devices that will detect water in your home and alert you. Some of these devices can send you a text message or an email if there is water detected or even sudden changes in temperature.
Buying these devices and keeping them by your sump pump, water heater, washing machine, etc., could save you a lot of money by catching the damage quickly.
Inspect Your Attic
No one enjoys going into or even looking into their attics. In this case though, it is important to occasional check your attic for any wet spots. This could be a sign of a leaking roof or just a bad seal. It is better to catch the issue early.
Visually Check Your Pipes
You do not have to be a contractor or construction hero to check on your homes piping. Look at places where you can see the pipes and see if they have signs of leakage or are corroding. If you notice anything unusual, call an expert and have them check it more thoroughly for you.
The Conclusion
We hope that these tips will help you keep your home safe from water damage. We are not professionals when it comes to building, repairing, or construction, but we are homeowners and we do see a lot of insurance claims. These tips are compiled from our own experiences and we hope that they will help you.
If you want to learn more about protecting your home from water, there are some great resources available online. You can find resources from your large home improvement stores or even TV shows that publish many articles online with helpful tips.