6 Ways to Reduce Your Home’s Flood Risk

8/10/2022 (Permalink)

Air mover on laundry room floor after suffering storm damage in Bountiful, UT.

Floods are often unavoidable. Although you may not be able to fully flood-proof your home, every homeowner in Bountiful, UT, can take proactive prevention and flood safety measures to protect their properties against extensive flood damage.

Flood Safety 

1. Prepare Sandbags

If you receive adequate warning of an approaching storm capable of producing significant rainfall, such as a hurricane, create an external barrier with sandbags, which can divert water from your residence.

2. Install a Sewage Water Backstop and a Sump Pump

A sewage water backstop is an efficient flood safety device that prevents backwater from flowing into your basement. A sump pump is another beneficial machine that can drain water out of your home.

3. Assess Basement Windows and Your Foundation

A cracked foundation may enable water to flow inside your basement. Water can also seep through basement windows. To secure these areas, ensure that windows are properly caulked and sealed and repair any existing foundation issues.

4. Maintain Gutters

Routinely clean your gutters to prevent blockages that may restrict water flow. In addition, install downspout extensions to direct water farther away from your home’s foundation.

5. Plant Grass and Use Mulch

Both mulch and grass absorb water. So planting grass around your home and placing mulch around external foliage provides an additional flood safeguard. However, to ensure retained moisture does not damage siding, keep mulch at least six inches away from your home’s exterior.

6. Properly Grade Soil

Grading the ground away from your home is another efficient safety tip that also helps divert water away from your foundation.

Peace of Mind

Following these seven flood safety tips helps reduce your home’s flood risk. However, it is impossible to fully eliminate the threats of extreme weather and bursting pipes. For this reason, the best flood safety measure is a flood insurance policy, which provides financial security and ensures that you have funds available to cover cleanup and restoration costs and replace destroyed property.