With the recent Burlington floods making headlines, the need for flood-proofing your basement cannot be stressed enough.
You may think, “Oh, it’ll never happen to my house.” But the truth is, if your home is not properly flood-proofed, which is important mainly for the basement, you could end up with a disaster when there’s suddenly a torrential downpour one random day. By taking the time to ensure your house is prepared for water damage or a flood, you’ll prevent what could be a very expensive clean-up project later on. Like our parents always said, it’s better to be safe than sorry, right?
Basements are one of our specialties at domilya GROUP, so if you’re in the Halton Peel region, feel free to give us a call for a free consultation. We’d be happy to help you flood-proof your home. Call us today at (647) 264-6387!
If you’d like to do some flood-proofing of your own, here are seven tips from www.gutterhelmet.com.
- Fix leaks – it may sound simple, but this is super important. Look for problems in caulking or rotting wood around windows. There may also be cracks in the foundation, which is something you might need a professional like us to take care of.
- Install a backwater valve – this prevents water from seeping back into the basement if the municipal sewage line backs up.
- Install a sump pump – if you don’t already have one, install a sump pump, which keeps rainwater leakage from building up in the basement. It may also be a good idea to install a back-up battery-operated pump in case the power goes out when there’s a storm.
- Install a French drain – this is a trench or a pipe that directs groundwater away from your home.
- Grade the ground away from your home – make sure the ground isn’t sloping toward your foundation, if it is, water could pool around the house and eventually seep in.
- Use downspout extensions – these help direct the water coming down from your roof away from your home, rather than soaking right into the ground around your house.
- Keep your gutter clean – if your gutter is clogged, your downspouts can’t work, so clean them of any debris at least twice a year and run some water through them to make sure it drains out of the downspouts properly.