Here are some of the most important tasks to keep water out of your home.
Check your gutters and downspouts
Gutters and downspouts blocked by debris such as dirt and tree branches can overflow during a rainstorm and cause water to infiltrate your home through either the roof or the foundation. Check your gutters and downspouts periodically and clean them out with a garden hose if needed. A more permanent solution to keep them clean can involve installing gutter guards to keep the debris out.
Make sure backflow protection is working
Many of your water connections around your homes, including a sprinkler system, have backflow preventers. These devices mainly are meant to keep dirty water from contaminating the potable water in your water fountains. However, backflow preventers also work to prevent water, such as from your sewage system, flowing back into your home. Ensuring these devices are working can help to prevent sewage or other water from flowing back into your home and causing a mess.
Ensure pipes are insulated
Phoenix homes, especially older ones, may not have a lot of insulation, which can be a problem for your pipes on those rare nights when the mercury falls below the freezing level. Exposed pipes can freeze and burst, which can cause a huge mess in your home. Check pipes in crawlspaces and exterior walls to make sure they have adequate insulation, and add insulation if what you have is not sufficient.
There is no way to completely eliminate the risk of getting water damage in your home, but taking these and other preventive steps will make it less likely. If you do wind up with water damage, call the experts at Rocky Mountain Restoration at 480-309-2524 to take care of the problem for you.
