On average, a home flooded with 9-12 Inches of water costs approximately $18,930 in repairs. The numbers show that 14,000 homeowners deal with a water leak emergency every day. If you add up carpet replacement, mold treatment, new furniture, ruined books and photographs, it is clear that any effort to prevent a destructive problem is a good investment in the future. Here are a few areas to start:
You can’t control the rain but you can control the effect that it has on your Eau Claire property. We at TRAC Solutions recommend that you carefully plan the route of excess water from your home and foundation out to the city drain system out in the street. Periodically check the grate for excess leaves or trash that could impede drainage during a hard rain.
Clean the gutters, correct the direction of downspouts and check the slope of the ground around your home. All water should be directed several feet away from your foundation. If the ground slopes toward your house, grade the yard for better flow. Install additional drainage systems, such as French drains.
If your driveway slopes toward the home, consider a barrier to redirect water away from the garage.
The American Society of Home Inspectors, based in Des Plaines, IL, estimates 60 percent of U.S. homes have wet basements and 38 percent run the risk of basement mold. If you have more moisture toward the crawlspace end of your basement, installing a waterproofing lining in your crawlspace can help to prevent additional water flow into the basement.
Window wells serve as a protective barrier for your basement windows, creating a dam that keeps dirt, debris, and water away from your basement window. Over time, the window wells in old basements can fill with silt and debris. Many times, the brick retainers are no longer functioning. Windows can become a source of leaks.
Inspect your basement windows and make repairs, or replaces, to ensure a good seal against the elements.
Many older homes have weak or permeable mortar in brick and rubble foundations. Seal these cracks to help reduce the flow of water. Seal them from the outside or have them professionally injected.
For small amounts of leaching, you can use a paintable waterproofing sealant on the interior of your home. It’s not a solution for full-on floods, but could provide protection against mold growth and gradual water damage in rooms with damp walls.
For homes with damp basements and a history of unpredictable weather, consider a sump pump. Sump pumps sit below the grade of your basement. When the sensor is triggered, the pump automatically removes water out of the home. The best solutions include an alternative power source, in case the store knocks out the electricity.
Many older homes have original gravity drains meant to divert the flow of water in the basement. If these are not draining well, a small trickle can become a flood. Even though you want to prevent even a trickle, your gravity drain is what protects your finishing and belongings from severe flood damage.
TRAC Solutions is a locally-owned Chippewa Valley company with more than 25 years of experience in Western Wisconsin. With so many years of experience, they have seen many preventable problems and many unpreventable disasters. When your home suffers from water damage, contact the experts in Eau Claire for immediate help.
This full service general contractor is Institute of Inspection Cleaning and Restoration Certification (IICRC) certified, Applied Structural Drying (ASD) certified, a member of the National Air Duct Cleaners Association (NADCA), and accredited by the Better Business Bureau.
