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Preventing Flood Damage In Homes Article
3. Preventing Flood Damage In Homes
from:Flooding is one of the most disastrous and unfortunately common phenomena that affects people today. There are many regions and countries in the world that are prone to floods, due to their climate or their geographical characteristics. Floods can be quite hazardous though and cause serious damages in small or bigger communities and individuals’ houses. If you are living in an area like this, then you should be well prepared in order to avoid serious situations. Preventing flood damages in homes is not difficult if owners take all necessary measures.
Your house should be elevated and reinforced in order to avoid possible flooding. You should also take care of particular elements, such as the electric panel and heaters, water pumps and any administration panel related to water and heat supply. You should also take some measures to prevent blockage of drains, which can cause quite a few serious problems. You should install sewer taps and make sure that they are connected to valves that can control water if needed. Sewers and drains are the prime source of trouble in case of flooding and can allow water to enter the buildings and houses if not closed when necessary.
Sealing the walls of the basement and garage with waterproof elements and compounds is also something you need to do. This way, you will not only prevent water from coming in, but you will also make sure that your walls will not absorb damp.
If you are warned about a coming flood then you should prepare both you and your house for a possible disastrous situation. You should make sure that your house will have the least possible damages. You should turn off all utilities, such as water supply, power supply, gas or anything else of that kind. Make sure that you turn off their main source and disconnect all the appliances from plugs. If your washing machine or dryer are in the basement, try to built a small deck and elevate them as much as possible. Cover their cords and cables with waterproofing materials to avoid serious electrical problems.
Keep in mind that these supplies should not be turned on right away after the flood is over. If you cannot have an electrician check them before, try to make sure that everything is as dry as possible, and open them gradually, one by one.
If you live in an area that has problems with floods often, try to buy flood insurance. In case you cannot prevent all damages, an insurance of that kind will help you recover faster, especially if flooding is unexpected. You should try, though, to take some permanent measures that would offer feasible solutions in any case, even if the flooding is not expected or controllable.