How to Protect your Home from Water Damage

Protecting inside your home

• Install a backflow valve:  A professional plumber can install these valves to your home’s sewer connections.  If the main sewer gets backed up, the valves close automatically, potentially saving you from water damage.
• Have your home visited while away:  If you’re going away, even for just a few days, ask a friend to come over and check up on your home daily; they might spot trouble before it gets out of hand.  Arranging to have someone check on your home is also a requirement under your insurance policy.
• Install a sump pump:  This pump system collects water from the weeping tiles around the basement and pumps it outside, away from the house.  Also remember a sump pump with an emergency backup battery is great to have in case of a power failure.
• Check the sewer line for tree roots:  Growing roots can block or damage sewer lines.  Have a professional plumber clear tree roots from the sewer line that runs from your house to the city sewer system.
• Hot water tank:  A tank that is 10 years old or older is at greater risk of leaking.  Also consider updating any of the other fixtures/appliances.
• Plumbing: The plumbing can become less reliable as time goes on.  If not done, consider upgrading all plumbing to copper or PEX.

Protecting outside your home

• Check your roof:  If the roof hasn’t been re-shingled in 14 years or more, consider installing new shingles, with a waterproof membrane under the new shingles as an extra precaution.  Also check the caulking around the chimney, air vents and skylights for any leaks where water might trickle through.  Water can even leak through hairline cracks in stucco.
• Inspect your windows:  Check the window frames regularly, especially those in the basement.  Make sure you don’t see any cracks, traces of moisture, mould or mildew.  Also check your skylights!
• Remove snow:  Remove snow that builds up around or in front of your windows as soon as possible so it doesn’t leak into the home when it melts.
• Clean out your eavestroughs: A messy but necessary job; keeping eavestroughs and downspouts clear of leaves and other debris allows water to flow freely.
• Position downspouts correctly: When water runs off the roof and onto the ground, be sure downspouts aim away (at least 4 feet) from your home, not toward.
• Do some landscaping: Grade the earth around your home to slope away from it so water will not overwhelm your weeping tile and go into the basement.
• Insulate pipes: Any pipes that are near the outside walls of your home should be insulated to keep them from freezing in winter.  Also turn off any secondary taps to the outside and drain lines.

If you have questions about what you can do to prevent water damage or what your policy says about it, please contact us at 204-452-4913 or info@pembinainsurance.com.  Our website is www.pembinainsurance.com

How to Protect your Home from Water Damage

Protecting inside your home

• Install a backflow valve:  A professional plumber can install these valves to your home’s sewer connections.  If the main sewer gets backed up, the valves close automatically, potentially saving you from water damage.
• Have your home visited while away:  If you’re going away, even for just a few days, ask a friend to come over and check up on your home daily; they might spot trouble before it gets out of hand.  Arranging to have someone check on your home is also a requirement under your insurance policy.
• Install a sump pump:  This pump system collects water from the weeping tiles around the basement and pumps it outside, away from the house.  Also remember a sump pump with an emergency backup battery is great to have in case of a power failure.
• Check the sewer line for tree roots:  Growing roots can block or damage sewer lines.  Have a professional plumber clear tree roots from the sewer line that runs from your house to the city sewer system.
• Hot water tank:  A tank that is 10 years old or older is at greater risk of leaking.  Also consider updating any of the other fixtures/appliances.
• Plumbing: The plumbing can become less reliable as time goes on.  If not done, consider upgrading all plumbing to copper or PEX.

Protecting outside your home

• Check your roof:  If the roof hasn’t been re-shingled in 14 years or more, consider installing new shingles, with a waterproof membrane under the new shingles as an extra precaution.  Also check the caulking around the chimney, air vents and skylights for any leaks where water might trickle through.  Water can even leak through hairline cracks in stucco.
• Inspect your windows:  Check the window frames regularly, especially those in the basement.  Make sure you don’t see any cracks, traces of moisture, mould or mildew.  Also check your skylights!
• Remove snow:  Remove snow that builds up around or in front of your windows as soon as possible so it doesn’t leak into the home when it melts.
• Clean out your eavestroughs: A messy but necessary job; keeping eavestroughs and downspouts clear of leaves and other debris allows water to flow freely.
• Position downspouts correctly: When water runs off the roof and onto the ground, be sure downspouts aim away (at least 4 feet) from your home, not toward.
• Do some landscaping: Grade the earth around your home to slope away from it so water will not overwhelm your weeping tile and go into the basement.
• Insulate pipes: Any pipes that are near the outside walls of your home should be insulated to keep them from freezing in winter.  Also turn off any secondary taps to the outside and drain lines.

If you have questions about what you can do to prevent water damage or what your policy says about it, please contact us at 204-452-4913 or info@pembinainsurance.com.  Our website is www.pembinainsurance.com