Did you know that, according to Public Safety Canada, flooding is the most common natural disaster in Canada? It’s also the most costly. There are simple steps you can take to better protect your home when water rises. Here are some tips from the prevention team at Intact Insurance:
Outside your home: It’s all about managing drainage. Any rain that falls on your home needs to be able to flow away freely. Check the grading around your home and make sure that it slopes downward away from your foundation for at least six feet. Your downspouts also need to empty out the same distance away. Otherwise, water can sit against the foundation and weaken it over time. If it’s safe, clear nearby storm drains of debris, and clean your own eavestroughs regularly.
Inside your home: Indoor flood management comes down to two main things:
- Staying aware: Install flood alarms in your basement, near plumbing pipes or near appliances, and check them regularly to ensure they are in working order. Set up a regular schedule to check your pipes and plumbing fixtures for leaks. One trick is to dry off a set of pipes and put paper towel or printer paper under them for at least 12 hours to check for drips. Make sure to store any valuables in your home, or hazards like oil containers, at least 30 centimetres above the floor.
- Checking your equipment: Consider installing a backwater valve and sump pump if you don’t already have them. Even if you don’t have a basement, floodwater can still accumulate in the crawlspace and damage your foundation. Set up a schedule to clean out your flood drain and backwater valve and test the sump pump twice a year.
By making sure they have the right equipment inside and proper drainage outside, Canadian households can be much better prepared for flooding risk. You can learn more about protecting your home from flood and water damage at keepitintact.ca.
– News Canada