For many homeowners, it occurs to them after a massive home flood that their homeowners insurance does not cover flood damage. Even though this may be surprising to some, this is all of the reason to take preventative measures to protect your home from an Arizona Monsoon storm or other flooding options. Here are a few of our top recommendations for flood-proofing your Arizona home.
Evaluate Your Risk For Home Flood Damage
First things first, it’s important to determine how likely you are to experience a flood where you live. Try using the FEMA Flood Map tool to understand the flood risk in your area.
After figuring out your region's flood risk, we recommended evaluating the way that water flows in and around your home? An easy way to do this is to assess the surface of your the surroundings of your home the next time we have a storm (which may even be today). Does the water flow toward your house or away from it? Does it pool in specific areas? Recognizing these things will allow you to determine your risk factor for a house flood and identify areas of your home or business that may be more at risk.
Seal Up Cracks in Your Home Foundation
Take a walk around your home, and check to see if there are any cracks or gaps in the foundation. If there are, you can purchase some mortar and masonry caulk to fill in the cracks. This is an easy, affordable way to fill gaps in your foundation completely.
Similarly, it’s also a good idea to apply coatings and sealants to your foundation as a way to prevent water from entering your home through cracks. These sealants can also be applied to windows, doorways, and walls for further protection.
Lift Electrical Outlets & Switches To Avoid Electrical Damage
All of the electrical equipment in your home including switches, sockets, circuit breakers, and wires should be at least one foot above flood level. Doing so is imperative when it comes to preventing electrical damage in the event of a flood. Electrical equipment that is too close to flood level can cause big problems when exposed to water.
Protect Your Home’s Appliances
It is important to think about your home’s interior and exterior appliances which also need to be protected. This includes washing machines, drying machines, water heaters, and air conditioning units, to name a few.
These appliances should be raised above flood level. If raising the appliances yourself isn’t possible, think about contacting a professional for help.
Install Home Flood Sensors to Avoid Water Damage
Based on how vulnerable your home is to flooding, installing flood sensors in your home is a smart decision. Flood sensors will significantly reduce the risk of flood water damage by detecting water in locations that should be dry. If the sensors detect water, the sensors will alert you, giving you plenty of time to address the situation or call your local water damage restoration company.
Located Your Valuable Possessions
When thinking about protecting your home from flood and water damage, we recommend moving some of your more expensive or valuable items to a higher spot in your home. If you live in a home with multiple stories, consider moving your most valuable items to the highest floor.
If you live in a ranch style or a one story home, think about moving these type of items as high as possible. By doing this you can trust that your important possessions will be kept safe in the case of flood damage to your home.
Experiencing Flood Damage? Call The Local Water Damage Restoration Company
Sadly, no matter how many precautions you may take to protect your home from a flood, accidents can happen. If you’ve experienced flood or water damage in your home, it’s important to turn to someone you can trust. Our expert water & flood damage technicians at Sunshine Restoration are skilled in water damage restoration and flood services, and we are ready to help.
Contact us today to learn more about our residential or commercial water damage services.
