External Water Damage/Flood – Steps to Reduce Your Risk

Global warming continues to deal wild cards to the Home Insurance companies. It’s clear going forward that external water penetration into your home is not going to be covered by insurance. So, let’s prepare.

Here is our list to reduce the potential of water seeping/flowing into your house and especially those finished basements:

• Attach your gutter extensions to the downspouts with metal screws to secure them in place. Extensions are designed to slide into place but heavy rain can blow them right off the downspout.
• Add Splash blocks to all downspouts to direct the water further away from the foundation.
• For basements with window wells add protective covers to the window wells to prevent water intrusion.
• Grade the yard to run away from the house.
• Where grading slopes to the house add a curtain drainage system set back from the foundation to capture water running toward the house and redirect it away from the house. Curtain drains are effective but they do let silt in and need to be flushed every couple of years.
• Test your sump pump annually to be certain if you do have water intrusion it works.
• Connect the sump pump to your generator.
• If you have a wet basement, be modest in finishing it due to of the lack of insurance available and use water proof sheet rock in the finish.

As we move forward, with the impact of the disasters from global warming and trimming of insurance coverages that are weather driven, taking charge of your exposure with some preventive measures will help reduce and possibly avoid damage.

If you have questions about water damage and what is covered by your insurance, reach out to Kyle at kshepard@shepardinsgrp.com for answers.