Prevent Your Home From Flooding

Prevent Your Home From Flooding

 

The most important step you can take to prevent flood damage to your home is to make sure your gutters are free of leaves and dirt and sticks.

 

Poor roof drainage is the No. 1 cause of basement leaks. A clogged gutter can cause even bigger problems by concentrating roof runoff water at your house's corners close to the foundation, which can seep through your walls and cause flooding. In fact, clogged gutters may be responsible for cracks in your home's foundation, according to Tom Kraeutler of the Money Pit.

 

To prevent this, make sure your gutters are tightly secured to your home. You may need to replace the spikes that secure your gutter with gutter screws. To clean clogged gutters, you'll need a ladder and a hose. To clear out debris, you can cut off the bottom half of a gallon milk jug and use it as a scoop to get rid of leaves or sticks.

 

Or consider gutter guards, which generally cost $3 to $7 a foot. Gutter protection products are available at any home improvement store like Home Depot or Lowe's.

 

Read more about other ways of preventing your house from flood damage…

 

Has your house ever sustained any flood damages? Do you know other ways of preventing it? You may comment on this article below.