Water Damage Prevention Tips to Consider

6/22/2017 (Permalink)

Clean your gutters.

Gutters help water flow away from your home. If they’re stopped up with leaves, it’ll cause water to collect. Water needs to flow somewhere, so it will begin seeping into your home through walls or through the foundation. Cleaning leaves out of your gutters once a year is a sure way to prevent this from happening.

Break out the caulking gun.

See cracks in your foundation or windows? Seal them back up. It’s a cheap and easy fix to keep water out.

Keep your heat on.

If you go away for the winter, you can’t shut off the heat. If you do, your pipes will burst and you’ll come home to an unpleasant mess. Keep your heat on 50 degrees to ensure water remains a liquid instead of a solid. In its icy form, it can cost you thousands in damage.

Check your pipes.

If your pipes are in your home, but aren’t insulated, then they can still burst. No matter if your home is a toasty 80 degrees, this can still happen. Hire someone or check your pipes yourself and tuck them in with some extra insulation so that they don’t burst in winter. If you’re really worried, you can also leave cabinets open (if your kitchen is on an exterior wall) to keep warm air circulating around your pipes.

Clear your pipes.

If you have an outside sprinkler system, make sure to clear your pipes before winter comes. This will remove water from inside the pipes and prevent them from freezing, expanding, and bursting underground. Come springtime, a burst pipe in your sprinkler system could result in a serious leak that can mess with your foundation and utility bill.