Virginia Beach, VA, may boast beautiful weather for most of the year, but that doesn’t make it any easier to predict. If you’re concerned about the structural integrity of your home, you’ll always want to be prepared for a potential flood.
Whether you prepare for flooding in advance or want to boost your forces when alerts first arise, there are several steps you can take to ensure that you’re better off when the rain finally ends.
In-the-Moment Prevention
When you first suspect a bad storm is rolling in, you’ll want to act quickly. While it may benefit you to have your preferred anti-flooding measures established ahead of time, you can also use the following checklist points to protect your home:
- Install A Sump Pump
Sump pumps can remove 2,000 gallons of water or more from your home every hour. If you’re staring down the barrel of a significant flood, there’s no better waterproofing measure to have on your side. That said, you will want to talk with one of the professionals in the Virginia Beach, VA, area about installing a battery backup pump alongside your standard one. Battery backup pumps are just as effective as standard pumps, and they’ll continue to protect your home even if the power goes out. Do note that you should never use a battery backup in place of a traditional pump – if going at full speed, these pumps typically tend to power down after five or six hours.
- Invest in Smart Sensors
If you want to use the Internet of Things to your advantage, consider investing in smart sensors. You can place these sensors throughout your basement, and they’ll alert you if they come into contact with water. As such, you can more immediately respond to the threat of a flood. You can also take the data you gather to a professional after a storm has passed so you’ll be able to better invest in localized waterproofing solutions.
- Clean Out Your Gutters and Downspouts
Your gutters and downspouts already work as waterproofing measures around your home. If you want them to continue protecting you, you’re going to have to maintain them. This means cleaning out your gutters before a big storm and properly realigning your downspouts. If you opt to do neither, you may see gutter and downspout overflow leaking into your foundation or basement.
- Elevate Important Belongings
When in doubt, fall back on the basics of flood protection. Make sure that the belongings you want to protect are elevated so that floodwaters don’t immediately reach them.
- Consider Backflow Drain Valves
Backflow drain valves protect you from any overflow that might damage your sewer or septic system. Not only do these valves keep water out of your home, but they’ll prevent raw sewage from making its way indoors.
Preventative Strategies
You can always install anti-flooding measures before you get news of a storm. Some of the most effective tools you can use to protect your home include:
- Flood Vents
Flood vents do let water into your home, but for good reason. As a storm rages on outside of your home, pressure build-up puts stress on your walls and foundation. If you don’t give the water generating that pressure somewhere to go, your walls and foundation may crack and crumble.
Flood vents let water travel into your home, better securing your walls and foundation. You’ll always want to pair these vents with another waterproofing measure to keep your belongings and interior dry.
- Elevated Utilities
As mentioned, it’s a good idea to elevate the things you care about in your home if you want them to stay dry. This includes your utility systems. When you install shelving units or otherwise elevate these systems, they’ll be less likely to fail you in the midst of a storm.
- Interior Drains
Interior drains work similarly to sump pumps but without the electrical aid. These drains collect leaking water from the basement walls and floor. You’ll want to pair these drains with a sump pump because the water intercepted by them is directed to drain into the sump pump system so it is properly pumped out of and away from your home. In doing so, you’ll keep that water from returning to your home and causing your structural supports additional stress.
- Exterior Curtain Drains
Exterior curtain drains are designed to look like loose gravel. You can drape these curtains over your drains and use them to keep larger objects from obstructing your drains. This way, water can continue to freely flow out of your home.
Be sure to let your insurance provider know if you’ve invested in anti-flooding measures around your home. You may be able to cash in on your planning and lower your premiums.
Ready to explore your anti-flooding options in more detail? Reach out to a Virginia Beach professional to get started. The expert team at A1 Sewer & Drain can help with plumbing features like backflow prevention, and JES Foundation Repair can assist with your basement, foundation, and crawl space needs.
