Whether it’s a leak in your ceiling or a basement filled with water, water damage requires time, effort and a lot of money to cleanup and restore. Cleaning up a water disaster can be very costly, so any preparation that reduces the risk of water damage can save you a lot of time and money. As a general rule of thumb, if your home or business experiences a water disaster, contact Proven Professional Construction Services in Greenville County immediately to minimize the extent of the damage and help you get your property back to pre-loss condition quickly. In the mean time, follow a few of these steps to help minimize your risk of facing a water disaster.
Start your basic housekeeping chores; work from the outside to the inside. For example, repair sidewalks and driveways. Make sure out-of-date concrete and asphalt aren’t creating a direct channel to your home. Add drainage to areas of the yard that pool.
Next clear your gutters. Make sure they’re hung securely from your roof. Check your rain spouts to make sure they’re positioned so that water will drain away from your and your neighbors’ houses.
Regularly check your roof for signs of damage, such as excessive wear on shingles or missing shingles. A new roof may cost several thousand dollars, but it can also prevent tens of thousands of dollars’ worth of water damage.
Update your windows and doors. At a minimum, replace the weatherstriping and sweeps under the exterior doors. Look for watertight options in new windows and doors. Older wood windows should be cleaned, repainted and re-stained periodically. Cracks in trim should be resealed. Glazing compound around older windows should be replaced as needed.
Focus on creating a water-tight seal in your basement. Thick coatings, paint and silicate-based sealers may help minimize or prevent water damage. Install a sump pump; consider buying a backup battery-powered pump in case the power goes out. Test your pump twice a year.
Our business is both a licensed plumbing service and a water damage restoration company. They could install a backflow or gate valve installed on every sewage pipe that connects to your home to prevent a sewer back up from a severe storm. FEMA estimates that installation of these valves can cost between $600 and $1,400, a reasonable price to lower the risk to your home and possessions.
Be realistic about your home; replace old pipes. Much home piping has a lifespan of 50 to 80 years, so if you have an older house, ask a plumber to check its condition. PVC pipes may need to be replaced every 25 to 40 years.
Inspect major appliances annually and save up to replace them before the fail. For example, hot water heaters have an average lifespan of about 8 to 12 years. If you are living on borrowed time, buy new ones. Replace washing machine supply hoses. Plan for new ones every three to five years as part of a proactive maintenance plan.
When your home suffers water damage as a result of a plumbing issue or another source, you can rely on our experts to be there for you 24/7. You can make one call to take care of both the plumbing and the water damage at any hour of the day.
Proven Professional Construction Services is a local business committed to providing the highest level of service to residential and commercial customers throughout Greenville County.
