Flood-Proof Your Basement and Home: A Guide

For renters and homeowners, flooding can be catastrophic — even costing you your valuables or your home. That’s why it’s important to take precautions before a flood hits. Even after the rain stops and floors dry, your home can hide dampness in hard-to-reach spots — which leads to mold issues.

Luckily, a few simple (and not-so-simple) steps can protect your home and basement from flooding and water damage.

Where to Start

Evaluate Your Risk

To check, visit Floodsmart, the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) website. It uses FEMA’s Flood Insurance Rate Maps to determine your community’s base flood elevation, flood zones, and floodplain boundaries. It uses FEMA’s Flood Insurance Rate Maps to deduce a community’s base flood elevation, flood zones, and floodplain boundaries.

Note: FEMA deems any home in a 100-year floodplain at risk.’ That’s an area with a 1% chance of flooding in any given year.

Shopping for a new home? Find out whether the property has ever flooded. Though some states require this to be part of the real-estate records, it’s always best to ask. If you’re still unsure – ask the neighbors! They can tell you about any severe flooding in the area — especially if they’ve lived there a while.

Buy Flood Insurance

If you live within that 100-year floodplain, then you know you need flood insurance and probably already have that covered. If you have a federally backed mortgage on a home in a flood zone, the lender requires you to carry insurance. What you may not know: government assistance rarely covers the full damage of a flood, and standard policies exclude weather damage. Make sure you’re covered for floods.

Note: Your homeowners insurance may not cover flood damage. FEMA assistance only kicks in when the President declares a disaster.

 

How to Flood-Proof Your Basement

Though it’s good to be informed, it’s best to be prepared. Here are a few easy ways to flood-proof your basement and some projects to help keep water out of your home.

Fix Leaks: As we’ve mentioned before, fixing leaks in your home and getting rid of any sources of moisture are of utmost importance because it can lead to mold and poor indoor air quality. Your basement or garden level apartment may be at risk a water can seep through cracks in the foundation or wood around the windows. Though a foundation problem may require professional help, you can seal windows with a simple caulk seal.

Install Backwater Valves: This is a huge lifesaver in the event of a municipal sewage backup that could bring contaminated water into your basement. Prevent this by installing a backwater valve. It closes off the line when sewage starts to back up.

Note: Position these so water can’t flow through other places in your basement, like sinks and toilets. Keep them accessible.

Use Downspout Extensions: Your gutters may be guiding water off your roof, but they may not be completely ensuring that water doesn’t sneak into the foundation directly surrounding your home. Prevent flood waters from seeping in by appending several feet of downspout extensions; simply attach them to the bottom of your downspouts.

Note: In many cases, simple splash bricks are enough to prevent water from soaking into the ground around your home.

Keep Your Gutters Clean: It’s really easy to forget they’re there! However, if your gutters are clogged – a downspout won’t help much as runoff water will simply pour over the sides of your home and along the perimeter of your basement.

Note: Clean debris from your gutters at least twice a year. Once you’ve cleared the debris, run a hose through them to make sure the downspouts are cleared too!

Add a Waterproof Veneer to Exterior Walls: Do a little more to protect the interior of your home from shallow flooding, add a waterproof veneer to your home’s exterior. This consists of a layer of brick backed by a layer of waterproof membrane.

Additionally, make these changes to your interior walls as well. It is recommended to replace insulation with washable, closed-cell foam insulation below the flood level.

Note: Any wood blocking you add to the wall cavity should be exterior-grade.

Raise Appliances, Electronics and HVAC Systems: Utilities, heaters, AC units and other HVAC systems are typically found in the lowest levels of your home and are particularly susceptible to flood damage. You can either find a way to bring them to the upper levels of your home or raise them by using platforms – this will help diminish the damage caused by severe flooding as you will have less to fix or replace.

 

How to Flood-Proof Your Home

Severe flooding is a nightmare on your basement, but flooding in your home is a flat out catastrophe that could lead to the loss of beloved items and dangerous situations. Here are a few quick and easy things you can do to protect your home from flooding.

Cheap & Easy

Shelving: Use high shelving to protect valuables that need to be on the floor or plugged into walls.

Raise Your Appliances: Protect the mechanics of your appliances by keeping them dry. You can either move them off the ground or raise them on plinths – same goes for all entertainment systems.

Protect Your Valuables: Always keep important paperwork, photos, and sentimental items in sealed bags. For valuable such as appliances and sofas, you can purchase large sealable bags!

More You Can Do

• Move electrical sockets up to above the flood line.
• Replace wooden floors and carpeting with more water-resistant or resilient flooring.
• Install quick-release internal doors you can lift out so they don’t absorb moisture.
• Or raise your doors above the flood level.
• Protect your doors and windows. If you don’t have the time to fit flood-resistant windows and doors, you can quickly fit floorboards.

If you are currently experiences flooding or water damage issues and need an expert hand, we’ve got you covered – give us a call today for your free estimate!