Flood Proofing Your Home To Help With Water Damage Restoration

Torrential rains are known for causing flash floods and Wichita is no stranger to it, particularly some of the more high risk areas of the city. That’s why the professionals at Stover’s would like to share some handy tips for ensuring your home is as prepared as possible to prevent damages from flooding and water damage restoration costs, both from natural disasters and the more common causes in and around your home. 

Follow the steps below to set your home on the path to preventing flood and other water damages:

Water Damage Restoration In Wichita 

The first thing you will want to observe around your home is the grade of the yard and landscaping around your home. It’s important to ensure that your yard is sloped in such a way that rainwater streams away from the foundation of your home, and has a safe place to pool or drain. Keep in mind that water will take the path of least resistance, which in homes that don’t have proper yard grading, often meals pooling in window wells, basements and crawl spaces. If you have ever noticed water collecting in your basement window wells, that is a strong indicator that your home is in danger of basement flooding. If you need to grade your yard to achieve a safe slope, the recommended grade is 1 inch slope per foot from your home for the first 10 feet; after the first 10 feet, create a slope of 1 inch per every ten feet.

It’s also important to make sure that any landscaping around your home is set at least 6 inches from the foundation of your home. This will help to ensure that the soil nearest to your home has proper drainage and isn’t hindered by decorative landscaping. 

Next, take a look at how your gutters are set up around your home. It is important that the gutters are free from any blockages or debris so that water can flow freely. While you are checking your gutters for blockages, it’s a good idea to check any storm drains around your area to ensure that they are free from blockages as well. After you have cleared any debri, be sure to check that the downspouts on your home are long enough to distribute the rainwater far enough away from your home. You do not want the rain water to have a chance to pool around your home. If they are not long enough, adding additional length to the spout is an easy fix. This will help with waterproofing your home from potential water damage and restoration costs.

The final step for preparing your home for flooding is to have a properly working sump pump in your home. Sump pumps are meant to collect water that has pooled in the water collection basement and pumping away from your basement. Sump pumps are one of the efficient and effective ways to prevent flooding in your home. If you live in a high risk area and don’t already have a sump pump, consider having one added to your home. 

Some of these tasks may seem daunting or like a lot of work, but an ounce of prevention could mean the difference between a rainstorm and a life altering flood in your home. Contact your local water damage restoration team for any sort of water damage issues.