Floods are absolutely miserable – they’re wet, destructive, pervasive and difficult to predict. They can cause enormous property damage, not to mention the damage of priceless family items, and, at their worst, they can even be life-threatening.
Add to that the fact that, in most cases, home insurance policies do not cover flood damages, and you start to understand the value of getting flood protection for your home. Floods will happen, and the best you can do given the circumstances is to look for effective ways of avoiding or reducing the chances of flooding affecting your home. The following are a few tips that can help you get more information about staying safe.
Use of Barriers
To stop floodwater from getting to your home, you can resort to using barriers. Notably, there are two types of barriers: earthen berm and concrete walls. In most case, the earthen berm works like magic, but it is not suitable for areas over 6 feet in width. In such a case, a concrete wall will work just fine. This is by far the most rudimentary form of flood protection, but it will do in a pinch.
An internal mechanism that every homeowner should have for preventing flooding is a sump pump, which channels excess water away from the home. Sump pumps can break, however, so it’s best to get yours inspected.
Dry Flood Proofing
The other effective method that can protect you against flooding is the use of dry floodproofing, which involves the use of waterproof materials during the construction of the building. The doors and windows can then be reinforced to ensure that water does not get in during flooding.
In cases where there are cracks in the doors, sacks can be used to ensure water is soaked up. In any case, call a plumber for proper channelling of floodwater around the home. By professionally doing indoor and outdoor waterproofing, you will reduce the chance of floods getting to your home.
Canals and Ditches
In areas where floods are common, ditches and irrigation canals have been seen to be effective. These canals and ditches work by redirecting water away from the property, using little more than the forces of gravity. By doing this, chances of floodwater getting to your home are limited, thus avoiding losses. This, however, calls for the service of a professional who will assess and identify the direction the water should travel to ensure maximum protection.
One of the most common forms of flooding in most homes is basement flooding, which can often – but not always, be attributed to the cracks in basement walls. Freezing or other floods may have caused these cracks in the past, and in such cases, it is advisable that you call a plumber to help assess the situation and offer appropriate advice.
Whichever methods of flood protection you choose, it pays to be both thorough and proactive. In other words: do it all, and do it soon. And if you aren’t a professional by trade, consider calling one in – with something as potentially damaging (physically and financially) as a flood, you don’t want to take chances on shoddy work.
