Every home is vulnerable to leaks and flooding, and dealing with water damage can be expensive and annoying. The good news is there are several easy ways to prevent problems. 

Take a look at these maintenance tips to help keep your house dry and your foundation strong.

1. Clean your gutters. To do their duty, gutters must be free of leaves, nests and other debris. Be sure to clear your gutters out on a regular basis or they may send water directly to the sides and foundation of your house instead of carrying it safely away.

2. Watch for signs of a leak. Identifying and repairing potential water leaks can help you steer clear of mold and termites, so pay attention to any upticks in your water bill and listen for dripping sounds. Also look for physical signs of trouble, like dark spots around your pipes or ceiling stains.

For extra peace of mind, consider investing in a smart water leak sensor that will detect hidden leaks and alert you when there’s an issue. 

3. Avoid chemical drain cleaners. Harsh chemicals can erode your pipes to the point of puncture, so do yourself a favor and invest in a drain snake. They’re effective, inexpensive and better for your health and the environment. 

4. Insulate your pipes. There are plenty of ways to avoid bursting pipes. Whether you leave cabinet doors ajar, leave faucets dripping or cover outdoor spigots with foam shields, be sure to take action before inclement weather hits. 

Along with these preventive actions, make sure you know what your policy covers in the event you do have to file a claim.

Have questions? Reach out today.

16 Responses
  1. Thanks for the heads up that any rise in a home’s water bill and listening for dripping sounds mean that a home has several leaks. Since you said that this will lead to mold, I thought that one should hire a professional restoration service to get rid of the air pollutant. Doing this will help create an allergy-free home.

  2. I just bought my first home and I want to keep it safe from water damage. That’s for pointing out that I should insulate my pipes. That does seem like it would help prevent my pipes from bursting this winter.

  3. I admire what you said about identifying the sources of minor leaks early. When faced with water damage, it’s important to find a restoration company that has the right equipment for the job. My neighbor wants to get his basement fixed after a recent flood, so I’ll help him find a specialized company that can offer an estimate upfront.

  4. That’s a great idea to insulate your pipes to avoid bursting and water damage. My husband and I are currently dealing with flood damage in our basement, and our pipes aren’t in the best of condition. We’ll have to take this opportunity to re-insulate some things and restore the damage that’s been done, with the help of our contractor.

  5. I liked that you mentioned cleaning your gutters will allow you to prevent water damage in your home. My brother is thinking about how often we need to help my mother to give maintenance to her house to prevent damage. I will let him know the benefits of cleaning the gutters regularly to prevent water damage.

  6. I appreciate your reminder that I should keep our gutter free from leaves and other kinds of debris to prevent water damage. Since we live in a flood-prone vicinity, it’s good to follow preventive measures to avoid damage to our property and additional expenses. I’ll share your reminder with our housekeeper and search for a water restoration service with good feedback in case of an emergency.

  7. I had no idea that if they weren’t cleaned, gutters can damage your foundation. My home actually doesn’t have gutters, and it’s been raining more and more these past few weeks. I’ll have to get gutters installed.

  8. Thank you for your tip to clean your gutters of leaves, nests, and other debris so the water doesn’t go to the foundation of your house. The other day my wife noticed that we have some water damage in our basement, probably because of the last snowstorm. I think it’s time to find a water damage restoration company to help fix the problem, however, I will remember this tip for the future.

  9. It’s interesting to know that you need to clean your gutters regularly to prevent water damage in your home. My wife and I are thinking about how to prevent water damage since our neighbor had that problem a couple of months ago. I will let her know about your recommendations to prevent water damage in our house.

  10. My husband and I want to know how to prevent water damage because our neighbor had that problem a couple of months ago, and we want to prevent it. I like that you recommend cleaning my gutters regularly to prevent water damage in my house. I will let him know about your tips to prevent water damage in our house, and we’ll take action.

  11. You make a great point about identifying dripping spots. That way you can patch up the hole before it bursts. I’ll have to consider getting a damage contractor to check my basement for leaks.

  12. My sister just moved to a new area it rains all the time, so she wants to make sure that there won’t be any water damage. Making sure that she can get some help from a professional could allow her to prevent any damage. I’ll be sure to tell her about how her home should carry water away from the home with gutters, drain cleaners, and the pipes should be insulated.

  13. That makes sense that insulation can protect your foundation from rot. I need a contractor who can fix our foundation under the townhome we just bought. It is sagging and might have water damage.

  14. It got me when you said that drain cleaners will erode our pipes and cause them to get damaged which is going to be expensive to fix. In that case, it is better to hire a storm drain cleaning service instead so that the right products and processes are used when that part of my home is clogged. Even if summer is almost here, it will still be better to clear them out, because we never know if there might be a heavy rain coming.

  15. I like that you talked about getting smart water leak sensors to detect hidden issues that can alert us in the process. I would love to get that in the future or as soon as a water damage restoration contractor fixes the issues we have in our basement. We already experienced a little bit of flooding after a pipe burst this afternoon which is why we had to turn off the power supply until we can hire a contractor first thing in the morning tomorrow.

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