How to Prevent Water Damage in Your Home

Luckily, there are a few precautions we can take to keep water damage at bay. Here is how to prevent water damage with both the interior and exterior of your home:

Plan Ahead with Planting:

Spring is the time of year where homeowners dive right into planting flowers, shrubs, and trees. While you might have the perfect spot in mind for your new rose bush, you’ll want to be careful on where you decide to plant new landscaping.

The truth is that poor planning with your planting cause a variety of issues, including basement floods. Soil erodes over time and it can change the slope of your yard, leading water straight into the interior of your home.

In addition to planning ahead with your new plants, you’ll also want to pay attention to the soil surrounding your exterior. If soil is settled against your home, water can seep through and make its way into interior walls.

The best plan of action here is to pay attention to where water collects around your home. You should also use fill soil—not top soil—to grade your lawn away from your home.

Clean Out Your Gutters:

Your gutters are easy to forget about, but clogs can easily cause water damage. Rusted and loose gutters are also prone to leaks, which allows water to make its way into other areas of your home. Be sure to clean the debris inside of your gutters and redirect the flow toward a drainage ditch or lower ground.

If it’s in your budget, install gutter guards for extra protection.

Watch Your Water Bill:

Your water bill leaves clues that undetected leaks might be in your home. If your water bill is rising without any explanation, it’s time to investigate further. Believe it or not, one of the most common leaks in the home are toilet leaks. Furthermore, a leaky faucet dripping at one drip per second wastes more than 3,000 gallons per year.

Don’t Pour Chemicals into Drains:

If you have clogged drains, choose snaking over chemical solutions. Chemicals can damage your septic system and pipes. If these chemicals eat through your pipes, you’ll be in for a high-price repair bill sooner than later. Remember—snaking is safe and prevents water damage.

Don’t Pour Grease Down the Drain:

Lastly, avoid pouring grease down your drains. This includes oil, butter, sour cream, and mayonnaise. Garbage disposals do not remove grease, so think twice before sending greasy foods down the pipes. This can lead to clogs, which can result in flooded basements and more.

Keep these tips in mind to ensure your home stays nice and dry this year. If you’re experiencing exterior water damage, consider contacting Universal Windows Direct about our Bolt Gutter Guards.