Outdoor Tasks That Help Prevent Flood Damage To Your Chicago Home
8/10/2017 (Permalink)
Prevent Flood Damage
Flood damage is a homeowner’s worst nightmare. Water that enters your home can cause a broad range of harm, from water-logged furniture to wet and sagging ceilings or even damage to internal walls. Storms are a common cause of flood damage to a home, and it only takes one spell of severe weather to cause a multitude of problems.
Flood damage during a Chicago storm means that water enters your home from the outside. Did you know that there are common and easy outdoor tasks you can do that help prevent storm water entering your home? You can do most of these tasks in an afternoon or a weekend, so do not delay. Get started today and protect yourself from storms.
Divert The Water From Your Downspout
Most hardware stores sell simple corrugated tubes that you can use to divert the flow from your downspout and carry it away from your home. If you cannot buy one locally, you can find them easily online. Diverting your downspout removes a potential source of water from getting into your home.
Look At The Earth Around Your Home
Is it flat, or does it slope toward or away from your house? Land that slopes away from exterior walls protects a building from storm damage by draining water away. SERVPRO recommends you simply use soil from elsewhere on your property to build a gradual slope down from the walls of your house.
Maintain Your Roof And Windows
Damaged or worn rooftops and windows provide easy entry for rain. Check the outside of your home every year and deal with any problems as soon as you find them.
Expand Your Drains
If clogged drains and regular inclement weather are a problem, you might want to consider broadening the area of your drains. Expanded drains have a greater surface area which means they are much less likely to get clogged.
Sometimes no matter how well maintained the exterior of your home is, a storm can take you by surprise and damage your house. We recommend you put in a call to SERVPRO as soon as you are able – our technicians are waiting to help you. Our teams have access to a range of pumps, including submersible pumps for deep water and truck-mounted pumps for when you need some extra power. Once the water is out of your home, we carry out a thorough assessment using a range of instruments to ascertain the extent of the flood damage. Finally, our IICRC-certified professionals set to work drying out your home with a range of dehumidifiers, air movers, and fans. For help restoring a water-logged home, call SERVPRO of Hyde Park / E. Bridgeport / Bronzeville at (312) 509-5000 today.
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