5 Ways To Prevent Spring Water Damage To Your Home

Springtime means a lot of things. Warmer weather. Taxes. Flowers. Green leaves. Unfortunately, it also means high-risk for home water damage. Because of this, it is very important that you are diligent in doing all you can to prevent water damage to your home during this season. Icon Property Rescue serving Cincinnati has five different tips to help you avoid spring water damage.

• Check your gutters and downspouts.

After a long winter, your gutters and downspouts may be clogged or disconnected. Gutters and downspouts are very important to the safety of your home because they reroute undesired water away from your home. Make sure your downspouts are down so they can handle the melting snow and spring rain. Check your gutters and clean them out if needed.

• Move piles of snow.

The main reason spring is such a high-risk time for home flooding is because of the melting snow. Avoid putting any piles of snow from scraping your sidewalk or driveway closer than five feet to the house. If snow accumulates in piles next to your house over the course of the winter, move it five feet away with a shovel. This preventative measure is simple, but putting that distance between the snow and your home can make a big difference.

• Install window well covers.

Window wells are a common outlet for excess water to infiltrate your home and damage it. An easy way to solve this problem is to buy and install some window well covers. These block water from having that easy access to your basement. In a pinch, filling the bottom of your window well with gravel can also help drain excess water safely and alleviate the risk of basement flooding so you don’t have to deal with any water damage cleanup.

• Mend any cracks in your foundation.

Winter is hard on your foundation, and sometimes it can create small cracks in your foundation or aggravate small cracks until they are big ones. Whether big or small, cracks in the foundation of your house are a quick outlet for water to get into your home and damage it. In order to prevent water from damaging your home through this route, have a professional assist you in filling in the cracks. Having a crack-free barrier between the outdoors and your home can go a long way to prevent water damage.

• Consider investing in a sump pump if you don’t already have one.

Sump pumps can be a valuable tool for dealing with the excess water in the ground from all of the melting snow. Sump pumps pump excess water from around your basement before it can cause any real harm. If your basement is positioned below the water table, a sump pump is especially helpful. If you already have a sump pump in your home, have a professional inspect it to make sure it is fully functional.

These five tips can go a long way in preventing water damage to your home, but they are no guarantee. If your home experiences water damage this spring, contact a professional water damage restoration company to help you with the cleanup process. Contact Icon Property Rescue to assist you with your water damage restoration needs if you live in Cincinnati.