PROTECTING YOUR HOME IN CASE OF FLOOD

It can happen for any reason. A ton of rain, a backed up drain, a broken sump pump or a burst pipe. When you’re hit by a flood, you’re probably less concerned with the why, than the fact your basement is under a few feet of water. I get that, I do — but if you don’t detect the source of the flood, you’re asking for another one down the road.

The area of your home most susceptible to flood damage is your basement. Ideally, you’ll have all the tools you need to prevent a flood before it happens, but it’s not a guarantee.

So where do you start? Start by making sure you’re protected against rising water.

PREVENTING FLOODING

One of the biggest tools in my flood prevention kit is to have a backwater valve installed in your home.

This is a simple device, but it’s one I believe should be installed in every single home. It’s installed directly to your sewer line and, by design, it only allows water to flow in one direction: out of your home.

In case of heavy rainfall, where stormwater tries to run back into your home, the valve activates, preventing water from getting in.

While a clog can lead to a burst pipe, a more common cause (especially in our climate) is due to a pipe that’s frozen. The best prevention for this is to wrap pipes, and shut off exterior plumbing during colder months.

But if a pipe is already frozen, what do you do? After all, sometimes that’s just unavoidable (like during extreme weather or during a power outage). If you can diagnose a frozen pipe — for example, if one fixture isn’t working, but others flow fine — then shut off your main water valve as a precaution, and make a call to your licensed plumber. Fixing frozen pipes isn’t a DIY job.

A good precaution to keep your sump pump working is to have one that includes its own battery backup in case of a prolonged power outage. Of course, I like to make sure I’m totally protected, so I would also have mine connected to my backup generator. A sump pump should last about 10 years, but it’s a good idea to have it inspected to ensure it’s still in good shape. The cost of an inspection and a new sump pump is going to be way cheaper than flood recovery — trust me.

IF YOU DO EXPERIENCE A FLOOD

Unfortunately, sometimes you can take all the precautions in the world and just get unlucky. So if you come home to a flooded basement, it’s important that you don’t panic. It’s natural to want to do things quickly, but recovering from a flood is a slow, methodical process. Don’t let yourself get swept up in it, and jump too many steps ahead before you’re ready.

First of all, call your insurance company and file a claim. This is the one step you should do quickly. Next, you’ll need to hire your flood recovery team. You’ll need someone who can pump the excess water out, and remove all the debris. You’ll need a contractor — but not all of them have experience dealing with flooding, so make sure you hire one that does. They’ll need to rip up damaged flooring, and open up the wall cavity to let it all dry out.

If the water got high enough to reach any electrical outlets, you’ll also need to hire an electrical contractor to check your system out (though I would anyway, just to be safe). Same with an HVAC specialist. You’ll definitely want to bring one in if flood waters got into any ducts, but for peace of mind, they are worth calling either way.

As I mentioned, your wall cavity needs to properly dry out to ensure there’s no mould or mildew growth. Don’t start putting drywall back up until you’ve had an air test performed.

I’ll say it again because it bears repeating: in case of a flood, don’t hurry into anything. As eager as you’ll be to get things back to normal, if you rush too far ahead, you’ll likely start to see the after-effects of a flood recovery project done too quickly — namely indoor air quality issues, mould and degrading building materials.