Your Flood Prevention Checklist

When water starts to rise around your home, you want to be prepared. If you don’t have a flood-proofing plan in place, you may find yourself facing significant property and market damage after a storm’s passed.

If you want to protect your home from these sorts of losses, you can. There are both pre-storm steps you can take as well as long-term preventative strategies you can put into place.

»  Download printable PDF

Best Practices for Flood-Proofing Your Home

• Invest in A Sump Pump

Sump pumps are among the most effective flood-proofing measures you can install in your home. These pumps can remove up to 2,000 gallons of water from your home per hour, so long as they’re appropriately fitted and installed.

Note that the cost of your preferred sump pump will vary based on the brand you’re more interested in. You should always, however, try to purchase a battery backup sump pump along with your base pump. When you invest in a battery pump, you’re protecting yourself from a power outage. These battery-powered pumps can remove as much water from your home as a standard pump can, allowing you to keep your home dry for several hours after the power’s gone out.

Best Practices for Flood-Proofing Your Home

• Inspect Your Gutters and Drains

Your gutters and downspouts were designed to keep water away from the perimeter of your home. But that doesn’t mean they don’t require maintenance. If you’ve recently fallen under a flood warning, you’ll want to make sure your gutters are clean, and your downspouts are appropriately arranged. If your gutters are clogged or your downspouts not attached appropriately, water will congregate near your perimeter and encourage leaking and structural damage. You may also want to consider having your downspouts placed in the ground.

• Use Smart Water Sensors

Want to get a feel for the leaks in your basement? Invest in smart water sensors. You can place these sensors throughout your basement and check on them while it storms. If water starts to enter your basement, these sensors will alert you via the affiliated app on your smartphone. Once the storm’s passed, you’ll be able to share this data with the contractors in your area and install future waterproofing measures accordingly.

• Find the High Ground

Sometimes, the oldest flood prevention methods are the best. If you have documents or belongings you want to keep safe from floodwaters, try to store them on shelves or in the highest parts of your basement. In doing so, you’ll keep them safe from the initial wave of water damage and any waves that come after.

• Consider Backflow Drain Valves

You’ll also want to consider investing in backflow drain valves. You can install these valves on your drains for as little as $300, and they’ll do more than keep water out of your home. Backflow drain valves prevent your sewer from directing any overflow into your pipes. As such, backflow valves keep sewage out of your home, thereby preserving your family’s health as well as your home’s value.

Preventing Flood Damage

While responding to flood warnings in the moment allows you to tailor your waterproofing measures by day, it’s often best to pre-plan to prevent significant damage. If you’re looking to preserve the value of your home in the long term, consider some of the following preventative measures:

• Install a Flood Vent

It may seem counterproductive to install flood vents in your home. Consider the impact of hydrostatic pressure on the walls around your basement, not to mention your foundation. If you give floodwaters somewhere to go, your walls and foundation are more likely to remain undamaged. When you pair your flood vents with a sump pump or interior drainage system, you may have to deal with minor interior water damage, but your home will retain its structural integrity.

• Keep Your Utilities Off the Ground

Again, try and keep those things you value most off the ground. Your utility systems are likely to malfunction if exposed to floodwaters for too long. When you keep these systems in the most secure parts of your basement, you keep them safer and functional for longer.

• Invest in an Interior Drain

Interior drains protect your home similarly to sump pumps. Instead of actively pumping water out of your home, though, these drains will collect water that may leak inside from the wall or floor. This water is then channeled to a sump pump so it can be properly removed from the basement. So, for a more comprehensive waterproofing solution that will better protect the whole of your home, it’s best to pair your sump pump with these interior drains.

• Curtain Your Exterior Drain

The last thing you want to deal with is a clogged drain in the midst of a flood. When you install exterior drain curtains – most often taking the form of loose gravel – you can keep larger objects from obstructing your drain and sending water back into your home.

Preparing for a flood ahead of time does more than just protect your home. You can talk to your insurance provider to see if your preparations can net you a lower premium than you’d otherwise have to pay. With that kind of incentive on the line, paired with a preserved market value, why wait?

Reach out to one of the professional foundation and basement contractors in your area today to discuss your flood-proofing options. The expert team at Ohio Basement Systems is eager to help you, and it all starts with a free inspection and estimate.