Preparing your home for Spring Storms

April showers bring May flowers….or a flooded basement. That’s certainly more realistic, albeit concerning, take on the childhood poem. But, the fact is, Spring can often mean more storms and flooding. This means the need for water damage cleanup in Rye and storm damage cleanup services are often in high demand at this time of year. But rest assured, you can do a few things to prepare your home for these issues and mitigate the damage before it arrives. So, we’re going to go through a succinct list of things you, as a homeowner, can do to best prepare your home for Spring- and what to do should the worst happen. 

What to do to prepare your home before Spring storms hit

Preparing your home for Spring Storms – Check your gutters

If we had a nickel for every time someone didn’t clear their gutters… well, we kind of do. Because ultimately, the issue becomes much more significant, and they call us. Clogged gutters allow water to back up and collect in areas. This can eventually lead to water seeking another way out and seeping into your home. You always want to ensure that your gutters are securely fastened to your house exterior to operate correctly and not get torn away in a storm.

Trim your trees and clear the yard

Before the storms arrive, you’ll want to check the trees on your property, particularly large trees with powerful branches. You should trim loose or overgrown branches and clear away debris or dense areas in your yard. These branches can be a risk for multiple reasons. One, they could get swept up by the wind in a storm and thrown around, creating a massive danger for yourself and others. Or, these branches and debris may snap off in the storm and then get moved to essentially create a damn on your property. Having all this water forced into one area with no option to flow away can be a big problem. If the water is being re-directed towards your house with no escape, it may eventually start flowing inside and flooding your home in Rye.

Preparing your home for Spring Storms – Caulk windows and doors

Water will always find a way in if you let it. And by not having adequate caulking on your windows and doors, you are essentially opening your front door and saying, “hey water, come on in and stay a while.” Eep, no one wants that. Check throughout your home to ensure that every seal is adequately sealed. You’ll likely need to reapply your caulk if you see any tearing, unevenness, or feel a draft. 

Inspect your home

So simple and oh so worth it. In particular, you should check your roof to ensure there are no missing, cracked, or dislodged shingles. If anything looks amiss, then there is potentially a leak in your roof that you’ll want to address before the rain starts pouring in. You should also regularly check your home to monitor any high-risk areas for water damage in Rye and mold. Areas like under sinks, in the laundry room, near AC units, really any damp, dark, poorly ventilated places. If you notice something now, the wet weather will only make the problem bigger.

Make sure everyone knows where the water and power shutoffs are

This is a big and often overlooked in regards to preparing a home for storms. But the thing is, a home is made up of a house and the people that live in it, which is you and your family. One of the first things that should be done if there is a flood or water present in your home is to turn off the water and power safely. Show your kids and your partner  (obviously not your toddlers and such) where these are and how to turn them off. You may think, “oh, I’ll do this; it’s my job,” but what if you’re not home when this happens? Everyone in the house should know where these are and how they can be turned on and off.

Know when to ask for a professionals help

Sometimes you can do all the right things and still end up with a flooded basement and major water damage in Rye. Unfortunately, Mother Nature doesn’t really care whether or not you cleaned your gutters. If a storm has just hit you, it’ll be pretty evident if you have significant water damage cleanup ahead of you. And if you do, you should immediately call professionals. They have the tools and knowledge to handle these catastrophes and restore your home to the highest quality possible.  

Prevention is preferable to repair and restoration when it comes to water damage cleanup and flood damage cleanup. Although, should you end up flooding due to a storm, please turn off water and power sources, if it is safe to do so, and call a professional immediately.