Your home protects you from the elements, but heavy rains can weaken that protection. With a little maintenance and a lot of vigilance, it鈥檚 not hard to stay safe and dry.
Spring rainstorms are a fact of life in many areas of the country, and they help keep things green, even if they keep you inside. But when they get heavy, it鈥檚 time to start thinking about the potential impact all that water has on your home. The first step is finding and fixing any immediate problems as soon as it鈥檚 safe to do so. Then, you鈥檒l want to take measures to prevent those problems from happening during the next downpour!
Where is all that rain going?
Your roof and gutters form a key line of defense for your home 鈥� and in a storm, they鈥檙e vulnerable, because so many things can damage them. Trees, hail, and other objects can create weaknesses that might lead to leaks in your roof, so check for missing shingles and other issues. And keep your gutters clear so all that water drains properly.
Are you checking everywhere?
Water dripping from the ceiling is hard to miss. Water in your crawl space, however, can easily go undetected because hardly anyone ever checks there. Don鈥檛 forget to look down there after a storm (or have a professional do it) to make sure everything is nice and dry. If you do see moisture, you鈥檒l want to get it out with a sump pump as soon as possible.
And don鈥檛 just look up 鈥� another place to check is your home鈥檚 exterior, whether it鈥檚 siding, brick, or another material. Weak spots can be hard to see, so look at various times of the day in different lighting conditions.
Of course, you鈥檒l want to make sure your doors and windows are properly sealed to keep the elements out, too.
What about around your property?
Storm water has to go somewhere, and if your property doesn鈥檛 drain well, or if runoff goes toward your foundation, you could have problems. So watch for patterns, and grade property so it drains away from your home if possible. Always be wary of hillsides and tilting trees after heavy storms, because the land might not be stable.
And don鈥檛 forget to keep storm drains clear of leaves and other debris. This can prevent flooding both on the streets and your own property.
What should you do during the storm?
During powerful storms, stay inside. This is not the time to check your roof, your exterior, or your property unless there鈥檚 an emergency and you know it鈥檚 safe to go out. Monitor your interior, making sure no water is getting in. If it is, do what you can to alleviate the situation in the moment, even if it means just placing something under a leak to collect the water. For more serious problems, though, remember that safety is the most important thing. If your basement is flooding, for example, don鈥檛 go down there 鈥� you could be trapped and even drown.
Thankfully, powerful storms only hit once in a while. Preparing for them, however, should be on your mind a lot more frequently, because the next one could be tomorrow.