Tag Archives: home flood prevention

7 Ways to Better Protect Your Home Against Flood Damage

a home with flood damage.

Water damage is the most common and devastating problem that American homeowners face. In 2023 alone, every single day, there were around 14,000 reported cases of water damage in homes, with the average insurance claim for each one standing at $11,605.

A significant number of these events were caused by flooding, which is a huge problem. Up to 99% of all US counties experienced flooding in some years. 98% of US homes are also expected to suffer water damage due to basement flooding at least once.

These statistics show us that flooding is a major problem for US homeowners, and almost no home is exempt from this risk. That is because flooding incidents in the property are not always caused by rain but also by the home’s plumbing, faucets, sprinkler systems and leaky pipes.

In other words, according to the Ratner Property Management team, your home does not have to be in a flood-prone area to experience flood damage. Furthermore, climate change is causing such monumental shifts in weather patterns that we are seeing massive natural disasters, like flooding, in areas where they didn’t use to happen.

What can you do to protect your home from water damage caused by flooding? This post will explain seven effective steps for flood-proofing your home. Following these tips will help you avoid the huge burden that flooding incidents can place on your finances.

a french drain installation is a good way to prevent flooding in your home.

If water consistently pools in one part of your yard and you have tried to solve the issue by grading the land, you may need to install a French drain.

7 ways to protect your home from flood damage

Assess your level of flood risk

Homes in areas with high flood risk need more flood protection measures than those in low-risk areas. High-flood risk locations typically include low-lying areas, flood plains, and homes close to a water body. To know your home’s level of exposure, check your area’s flood map; you can access it for free on the Federal Emergency Management Agency website. The rest of the steps in this post depend on the result of your research.

Keep downspouts and gutters clear

Poorly maintained drains and gutters increase your home’s exposure to the risk of flooding. If gutters and downspouts are discharging water on the walls of your building or near the base of the house, there is a chance that some of that water will find its way into your home. To prevent this, it is essential to keep gutters and downspouts free of debris and ensure they are not in a state of disrepair.

Fix grading issues in your yard

The grade determines the direction in which water will flow in your yard when it rains. You have grading issues if water flows toward your house instead of away from it. This problem can cause a water pool at the base of your building. Some of that water will penetrate the basement. To solve the problem, look for low-lying areas or depressions around your yard and fill them with soil.

Maximize drainage with a French drain

If water consistently pools in one part of your yard and you have tried to solve the issue by grading the land, you may need to install a French drain. A French drain is an underground channel for solving drainage problems in land prone to waterlogging. The great thing about French drains is the system is underground, and the aesthetics of your yard are not impaired.

Create a flood barrier

Flood barriers are designed to stop or slow the advance of floodwaters. There are many types of flood barriers, berm, sandbags, etc. The advantage of sandbags is they are easier to make. You can remove them when not needed. A berm, on the other hand, takes time to construct and is permanent. The advantage of a berm is it can be designed as part of your landscaping to protect your home and improve its aesthetics.

Create a swale or dry pond

A swale is an open channel with gently sloping sides that is used to capture water and direct it away from a home. Swales often have grass growing inside them to prevent erosion and make water penetrating the soil easier. A dry pond, on the other hand, is a large depression that is used to collect and hold water on a property. It acts as a reservoir for runoff water.

Install a sump pump

You need a sump pump even if your home’s flood risk is minimal. A sump pump is your home’s last defense against flood damage. The sump pump will protect your home if a flood happens despite your flood-protection measures. But to get the maximum benefit from a sump pump, you must maintain it regularly. It is also vital to have a backup system in place.

To conclude, before deciding on which flood-protection measure to adopt, it is essential that you talk to an expert. Flood protection measures can be expensive, so you want to be sure that whichever option you choose is the best for your home.

A Comprehensive Guide to Residential Flood Control: Solutions and Recommendations

a town in which a residential flood control solution is needed.

Floods may happen anywhere at any time, regardless of the season. In winter, ice dams can cause water levels in rivers to rise. Snow melt and heavy rains may also cause spring flooding. In summer and fall, diverse extreme weather events will often lead to flooding. Learn how residential flood control solutions can help assist in the prevention of home flooding.

While it is true that homes in flood-prone areas are more at risk, Ardent Trust Property Management warns flooding can also happen to homes outside these zones. Environmental problems caused by climate change, agriculture and urbanization are the reasons we are seeing floods in places where they didn’t used to happen.

To protect your home from flooding, you must have the proper information. What is your home’s flood risk level? How can you keep the house from being flooded? What can you do to minimize the damage if your home is flooded?

Does your home have a flood risk?

To know your home’s flood risk, you want to check the area’s flood map and evaluate your home’s ability to withstand a flood. The information you derive from these steps will give you an idea of the types of renovations or protective measures to undertake.

The most easily accessible flood map is the FEMA Flood Map Service Center (MSC). It is actively maintained and updated by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Inside this map, you will find the FEMA Designated Flood Hazard Areas.

Based on data from the map, Florida – at 39.09% – is the state with the highest flood risk, followed by Louisiana at 29.74%, while Mississippi places third at 25.59%. The US states with the lowest food risk are Alaska at 0.08%, Idaho at 0.76%, and Hawaii at 0.94%.

But just because a state is designated as having a low or high flood risk does not mean that every home in that state is risk-free or at risk. It depends on the home’s location within the state. A house in a low flood-risk state may have a high flood risk if it is located in a flood-prone area.

Areas within each state are further divided into flood zones that are color-coded to show their risk level. Blue zones have a 1% chance of flooding. Orange zones have a 2% chance of flooding. Yellow zones have undetermined flood risk. Red zones are special flood hazard areas.

water leak detection needed in this home.

Applying coatings and sealants on the foundation, exterior walls, windows, and small openings in the building will prevent water from seeping into cracks.

How to prevent flooding in your home or reduce the impact of floods

Especially if there have been recent floods in your area, you should consider measures to protect your home from future floods. If it is impossible to completely stop flooding in your home, you will want to take steps to reduce the amount of damage a flood can do to your house.

The following steps will help you prevent flooding or reduce flood damage:

Grade your yard properly

To ensure that surface runoff flows away from your house and toward the street instead of in the direction of your building, your yard must have the proper slope.

Point downspouts in the right direction

Downspouts should not only be pointing in the right direction, they should be discharging at an appropriate distance from the house.

Erect barriers or floodwalls

This can be a berm or concrete wall created to hold back floodwater and keep it from reaching the home. Barriers should be built far from the building and should not interfere with drainage.

A robust sump pump system

To prevent basement flooding, the sump basin should be properly sized, the capacity of the sump pump should be adequate for the home’s needs, and a battery-powered backup system should be installed.

Think of wet flood-proofing the house

Depending on its structure, the home can be altered to let water flow in and out of the building without damaging it. There are different methods for doing this.

Apply coatings and sealants

Applying coatings and sealants on the foundation, exterior walls, windows, and small openings in the building will prevent water from seeping into cracks.

Elevate electrical components

For homes in areas with a high risk of flooding, it may be necessary to raise the home’s electrical components – sockets, circuit breakers, etc. – above predicted flood levels.

elevating the utilities in your home to protect from flooding.

Along with the electrical components, utility systems – furnaces, electric/gas meters, etc. – may also be elevated to ensure they can still function during a flood.

Elevate the utilities

Along with the electrical components, utility systems – furnaces, electric/gas meters, etc. – may also be elevated to ensure they can still function during a flood.

Flood-proof the utilities

As an alternative to elevating them, the utilities can be made flood-proof. Typically, this is done by placing the equipment behind walls or a watertight enclosure. 

Use flood-damage-resistant materials

This involves using materials such as non-paper-faced gypsum board and terrazzo tile flooring in the building to reduce flood damage and the cost of post-flood cleanup.

Finally, when planning flood prevention measures for your home, it is not a good idea to do it yourself. An expert can save you a lot of money via their ability to see problems and solutions that you may never consider.