
Protect your home from floods by taking the appropriate measures like renovations, insuring your home, and understanding what your coverage offers.
How to Protect Your Home from Floods
Protecting your home from unexpected emergencies is a priority that should not be overlooked. Constantly, families are impacted by natural disasters and cannot amend the extensive damages by floods or water. Flooding can destroy your belongings, decrease the value of your house, and is difficult to predict.
Burst pipes, plumbing failures, and toilet problems are the leading water damage hazards for homes. Flood risks are harder to predict but entirely possible to prevent if you monitor your home and are prepared for risks reliant on your location. If you live by a body of water, understanding the preventative measures you can take is important and highly recommended.
Home Renovations
If you have assessed the likelihood of flooding in your area and it seems likely, there are home renovation options available to prepare your home for possible flooding after a storm or surge.
Stilts
A lot of homes by the water are built on stilts or piers to raise the property flood level. Even an inch of flood water can lead to significant damage so raising it will substantially protect your home.
Foundation Vents
There are foundation vents which are also called “wet flood-proofing” which allow water to flow through your home, rather than pool around it. It provides a water outlet and relieves significant pressure it can put on your walls.
Coatings and Sealants
A tool for floodproofing your home is applying coatings and sealants to your foundation, walls, windows, and doorways to prevent water from leaking into your house through cracks.
Where and How to Check for Water Damage After a Flood
Most water damage is invisible to the naked eye which makes it difficult to detect immediately. You want to stay on top of this because it can result in mold issues that will ruin your property. After a major storm, inspect your home for any signs of water damage.
Look for Discoloration or Stains
The most obvious sign of water damage is discoloration and stains in the walls or ceiling. The stains can start small and then grow if not spotted right away. This could be a sign of leaks resulting in mold. If your walls are white, you may see a beige or brown spot, a clear indication of water damage.
It is important to check for mold because exposure to large amounts of it can affect your health in the long run. There are at-home tests that you can administer to pinpoint if your home is growing mold.
Check for Leaks
To check for leaks look at your kitchen, bathrooms, laundry machine, or dishwasher connections for damages and use a water meter. Damp areas on the walls may also indicate a leak is occurring and it is paramount to stay on top of the situation as soon as possible. Hiring a professional is an option to confirm if a leak is happening or not.
Protecting Your Home With Property Insurance
It is always advisable to add property insurance protection which provides coverage to repair or replace your home and its contents in the event of damage. Homeowners insurance is a form of property insurance to cover losses and damages. Most of these policies cover damage from fire, smoke, theft or vandalism, and weather events such as lightning, wind, or hail. This adds a sense of security to your home if an incident were to occur and puts your belongings at risk of permanent damage.
Does Every Insurance Policy Cover Water Damage Relief?
Not every insurance policy covers water damage relief. Standard homeowners, renters, and condo policies do not cover water damage due to flooding. If you are unsure whether your policy covers this, check and be certain before it is too late. Add water damage to your plan if you believe that your home is at risk of this in the future.