With winter finally fading in the rear view mirror a new threat emerges for Connecticut homeowners: spring floods. When the spring rains come and the ground has not completely thawed, it’s very easy for water to pool on the surface of a lawn and cause serious flooding.
Also, if the gutters on your home are not cleaned, clogs can also cause water backup that may impact the foundation making your home more susceptible to flooding.
By Carrier offers a few tips on how you can protect your home from floods.
Clean the Gutters: Experts recommend professional gutter cleaning at least twice a year and one of those times is early spring. After winter a lot of debris can be stuck in the gutter channel and downspout and if you don’t have it removed it can cause major complications when heavy rain falls. The sooner you clean your gutter system, the better.
Raise Wires: Every home should have a flood line and if you want to be prepared for a flood it is a wise idea to move wires, appliances and other electric components a good 12” above this line. If you have a basement with wires and circuits it is imperative that these cables are not along the ground where flood waters will cause even more damage.
Rearrange Downspouts: A good prevention tip is to rearrange your downspouts so it diverts water several feet away from your home. During torrential rain, gutters will be flowing heavy and if the downspouts are pointing towards the home this can lead to foundation damage. Try to point the downspout towards an area it can drain safely.
Taking the time now to prepare for spring floods can save you a lot of money and headaches later.
