It’s important to prevent water damage this time of year. Our usually wet Pacific Northwest area suffers the worst in the spring months. Beginning in March, the jet stream tends to flow over this part of the world and bring lots of rain in its wake.

Add to that the melting snow from our colder-than-normal winter and you have a recipe for heavy flooding.

Even if you are usually high and dry and not in a flood plain or near a swollen river, water can find its way onto your property and wreak havoc on your lawn and home.

Water is a stealthy threat to a home’s structure. Over time, lingering dampness can damage the foundation, invade a crawl space, rot decks and door frames, spark mold growth in basements, encourage insects and even lead to landslides!

But, by the time a homeowner discovers the water damage it’s considered a ‘maintenance issue’ and insurance companies won’t cover it.

An Ounce of Prevention is Worth a Pound of Cure

Roofs deflect thousands of gallons of rainwater and snowmelt, but it needs to go somewhere. Here are some tips for draining it away:

• Clean out your gutters and downspouts. Trees lose their leaves in the fall and the heavy rains can move debris from your roof into your gutters and downspouts. Inspect your gutters and especially your downspouts for any blockages and clear them out.

• Remove blockages from downspout drain pipes. Tree roots can invade and block pipes that carry water from your home’s downspouts into storm drains on your street. Make sure to inspect and remove any roots.

• Direct downspouts away from your foundation. If the downspouts empty on the ground near your foundation, water can pool and find its way into your foundation. Add downspout extenders to keep water away

• Get rid of bark mulch near your foundation. Mulch will absorb water and, if piled high enough, can rot your siding and invite insects. Instead, use gravel or decorative rocks that allow water to drain away.

Make Your Driveway Drain Better

• Add gravel strips on the sides of your driveway. They’ll slow runoff so it can gradually soak into the ground.

• Use paving strips instead of a solid paved driveway. Paving strips placed in line with your car’s tires with gravel or grass in between lets water absorb into the ground.

Use Plants to Control Water

Plants drink water and their root system stabilizes the soil.

• Preserve native trees whenever possible. Their root systems can suck up water over a very large area.
• Terrace planting beds. As water flows from one level to the other, it has a better chance of being absorbed.
• Don’t mow lawns too short. Longer grass blades have a deeper root system and can absorb more water. Don’t cut more than one-third of the grass blades when mowing.

How to Stop Water From Coming Onto Your Property

• Structural Runoff-Control Measures. Resloping your yard so that water naturally flows away from your foundation is effective, but when you redirect water in a neighborhood, that water has to go somewhere. If it starts flooding your neighbor’s yard, you may be responsible for the damage to your neighbor’s property!

• Build a ‘Rain Garden’. Build an attractive garden in your yard and divert the runoff from your downspouts to empty into the garden. The plants and shrubs will love it and it will allow the water to slowly percolate into the soil in the garden.

Is your homeowner’s insurance up to date? Call SAV-ON at 888-867-2866 or visit us at https://sav-on.com to find out.

Source: PEMCO Insurance