Make no mistake about it, floods after a heavy rain are to be feared with good reason – there are few events more damaging to your home and your possessions. Basements are especially prone to flooding, so any personal items you store there may be at risk. Instead of renting a storage unit or filling every nook and cranny of your home with boxes you would rather keep hidden away, you want to be able to use your basement as you intended. Keep your basement useful, rather than a waste of space—or worse yet, a big mess. Read on for more on how proper landscaping can help prevent basement flood damage.
How Landscaping Can Prevent Basement Flood Damage
There are multiple ways to prevent flood damage before it begins, but a good place to start isn’t even in your basement itself. Tackle the outside before you worry about what’s going on indoors. While Mother Nature gives you rain, turn to her to help you out. Here are a few helpful tips for how your landscaping choices can help prevent basement flood damage.
Grade A Protection
If your yard slopes toward your home, basement flood damage is more likely to occur. The key is to be sure that water will flow away from your house in the case of a rainstorm. To make sure this happens, grade your yard in such a way that the land slopes away from your house, not towards it. It may be necessary for you to use extra dirt to help with this process, and you may even need to ask for help from a professional. You can also dig a dry creek in your backyard and fill it with river rock or other sorts of stones to guide the water flow in a more desirable direction away from your foundation and better prevent basement flood damage.
Mind the Gap
If you’re mulching, be certain to leave at least a 6-inch gap between the mulch and your siding. You don’t need to worry as much about brick, but the water retained by the mulch may cause damage to your home’s siding.
Good Green Grass
Grass can be used to create a barrier, which will help protect your home. You can also use it to create a sort of drainage ditch that will help water flow away from your house
Hire a Professional to Prevent Basement Flood Damage
If you’re uncertain about the best choices for your home, hire a local landscaping company to assess your property and implement landscaping features that will help divert water away from your home and prevent basement flood damage. A home inspector who uses thermal imaging technology can detect areas of your home that may be susceptible to moisture intrusion, including your foundation and your roof.
Where should you concentrate your efforts? This is when you shouldn’t be afraid of a little rain! Go outside while it’s raining and take note of where water is building up and flowing, being sure to focus on the direction. Remember, you always want excess water to flow into safe areas that are far away from your basement!
Inspect A Home, LTD is your go-to specialist in New York and Connecticut for all matters regarding grading, drainage, and landscaping techniques that can prevent basement flood damage. Contact us to schedule the inspection service that is right for you, whether a General Home Inspection, Wetlands and Drainage Inspection, Thermal Imaging, or even our Video/Telephone Consulting Services.