subject: Preventing Water Damage & Smoke Damage [print this page] Preventing Water Damage & Smoke Damage Preventing Water Damage & Smoke Damage
Water Damage
Top help prevent water damage in your home do the following on a monthly basis.
Check your hot water tanks, washing hoses, dishwashers, refrigerators, and ice makers to make sure that they are in good condition and have no leaks. Change any lines that show wear or kinks.
Clean your gutters after the leaves have fallen in the fall, so the gutters will drain properly. Check to make sure the gutters carry the water away from your foundation.
Make sure the ground around your house slopes away from your home. During heavy rainfalls the watercouldrun into your basement through the foundation ifthe ground slopes toward your house.
Check to make sure egress windows drain properly. Water can leak into home through windows and the foundations if not drain properly.
In the winter, when you leave your home make sure your heat is turned on. Leave cabinet doors open in extreme cold weather so warm air can reach the plumbing. Have your furnace checked annually by a HVAC contractor.
In the spring, when you first turn on your outside water faucets make sure they are not leaking inside the house. The faucets may have froze during the winter and may leak when you use the faucet.
Fire & Smoke Damage
Make sure you have a smoke alarm and in working order on each level of your house. There should also be a smoke alarm in each bedroom.
Do not overload electrical circuits.
Never have a combination of appliances that exceeds 1500 watts on one circuit.
Check extension cords, electrical cords for fraying. Discard of any extension cords.
