Creating a flood-resistant home is an investment. It may require some time and money up front, but in the long run you are likely saving yourself a great deal of money, time, and stress. As recommended by our water damage restoration technicians at Stretch Cleaning in Long Beach Island, here are five simple ways you can invest in a flood-resistant home.
Appliances like washing machines, dishwashers, water heaters, and AC units go through a lot of water. They also only last for a limited amount of time. After a few years (depending on the model) these appliances will all need to be replaced. Unfortunately, it’s easy to put off doing this since purchasing new appliances is a big investment and can be expensive. However, upgrades are necessary to make sure your appliances remain in good shape and do not pose a major flood risk to your home.
Sump pumps are one of your wisest investments you can make to fortify your home against water damage. Without a sump pump, basement floods can lead to disastrous outcomes given how long it can take to pump all the water out of the basement. With a sump pump, however, you can immediately begin pumping water out of the basement and significantly reduce the overall damage done to your home. You can buy a sump pump for a few hundred dollars while having a sump pump on hand during a flood can easily save you thousands of dollars.
Your roof is one of the most vulnerable points of your home for water damage. Shingles can break down and become vulnerable to leaking in a short time. Moreover, other issues like ice dams, overflowing rain gutters, and debris can cause major damage to your roof. For a time, simply making repairs to damaged shingles or other relevant repairs are sufficient to prevent water damage. However, roofs with shingles only last for between 15-30 years so they will need to be replaced eventually.
Copper used to be the go-to material for running water through homes. However, a disadvantage of copper pipes is that they are more likely to fail than other materials, especially at extreme temperatures. Replacing copper pipes with PEX increases your energy efficiency and decreases the risk of your pipes bursting.
Water leak detectors are a very affordable investment that can make a big difference in the event of a flood. Water leak detectors are especially useful if the flooding occurs outside of your notice. For instance, if you are out of the house, they can alert you to a flood at any time. This will also give you greater peace of mind concerning water damage since you will be notified immediately if your home does ever flood.
While the preferred option is always prevention, don’t despair if your home is affected by a water damage disaster. Our restoration technicians at Stretch Cleaning in Long Beach Island will be right out to begin removing the water from your home and repairing the damage.
