Ten
Tips to Prevent Flooding of Your Home or Business
June 28,
2005, By:
Phillip Fry,
Manager, DangerBusters
VANCOUVER,
CANADA. Water flooding of one’s home or business can cause severe water
damage. The flooding can result in massive mold growth inside of, and on,
the walls, ceilings, floors, basement, crawl space, attic, and the
heating/cooling equipment and ducts.
Here are ten tips to help minimize the
possibilities of water flooding, and thus to help prevent water and mold
damage to your home or business, according to Phillip Fry, Certified Mold
Inspector and Certified Mold Remediator, and author of the book
Do-It-BEST-Yourself Mold Prevention, Inspection, Testing, and Remediation.
- If you are going to be
away from your home or business for the weekend, a vacation, or any
other prolonged absence, turn off the water inlet valve at your outside
water meter or water well so that water cannot flood your home through a
plumbing line break or leak that develops during your absence.
- Periodically, turn off
all water-using equipment/fixtures in your home or business so that you
can carefully watch your water meter usage dial for an hour or so to
make sure that the meter is not turning because of water flowing in a
hidden or unknown water leak.
- Make sure that your
outdoor lot grading takes water away from your home or business and NOT
toward your home.
- Make sure that the
drain lines from your roof gutters take the water away from your home of
business and NOT put the rainfall into the ground around your home
foundation and basement walls.
- Have your roof
carefully inspected at least once a year by a licensed roof contractor
or a capable handyman who should check the roof thoroughly for missing
shingles, degraded roof components, separation of the roof from chimneys
and exhaust pipes, and other roof problems.
- If your house or
commercial lot is at risk of flooding from a higher neighboring
property, build on your lot lines a solid wall masonry fence (hollow
block construction with cement surface finishing containing adequate
amounts of waterproofing compound) on such water-vulnerable boundaries
of your property.
- Use a hidden moisture
meter from time to time to scan all floors, walls, and ceilings for
hidden moisture/water problems (such as from roof leaks, siding leaks,
or plumbing leaks).
- Make sure that the
condensation drain line from your roof-mounted air conditioning unit is
not clogged (and thus allowing the backup of condensate water into your
home or business because of the clogged drain line).
- Be ever vigilant for
warning signs of an impending water flood problem – such as water stains
and mold growth on ceilings and walls, the underside of attic roof
sheathing, and mold water pooling, water dripping, water leaks, or mold
growth anywhere inside your home or business.
- Where possible, do not
install water-using items such as solar collection panels, air
conditioning units, and hot water heaters on your home or business roof
or inside the attic. If you already have such items installed in such
locations, remove and then reinstall them in less-risky areas (such as
over your garage, covered patio or porch, or workshop – or on the
ground).
For more information, visit:
http://www.mold-removal-remediation.com
http://www.floodwaterdamage.com
http://www.moldinspector.com |
