Keeping Your Home Dry: 15 tips to protect your home from water damage

It’s April, and we all know about the spring showers that bring along May flowers.  However, there is something else, something much more sinister that these showers can also bring along.  That something else  is the rather unfortunate possibility of household damage due to water flooding, leaks and backups.  So now is the time to make sure your home is ready for the rainy season.  Here are a few tips on how to protect your home from water damage, hope they help!

1. Make sure your roof is in good shape.  Shingles should be flat (not curled!) and holes and missing shingles repaired and replaced.
2. Clean your eavestroughs and downspout.
3. Aging water heaters have a tendency to leak, have them inspected and flushed annually to see if replacement is necessary.
4. Ensure proper grading of your house. Landscaping should be sloped away from the house so that water drains away from it.
5. Professionally install a sump pump with a battery or generator backup.
6. Install backwater valves (if it is allowed by local by-laws) as they can help prevent sewer backup.
7. Keep basement drains clean and clear.
8. If you live in an area with large and mature trees, consistent follow-up is required to make sure sewer lines are clear of tree roots.
9. If you live in an area where you have a septic system, beware of slow drains as they are usually a sign of impending doom.  Make sure to service your system regularly.
10. Make sure that your window wells and doors are all properly sealed and replace caulking or weather stripping as necessary.
11. Properly install downspouts away from your home (and of course not into another dwelling or directly into the sewer!)
12. Inspect seals and hoses around your appliances and fixtures for wear and tear.
13. When you are away on vacation or leaving your home alone for an extended period, shut off the water to all appliances.
14. Know where you water shut off valve is.
15. When  storing items in the basement make sure to keep them away from the walls and off the floors.