Flooding
Ten Tips to Prevent Flooding of Your Home or Business
Water flooding of one’s home or business can cause
severe water damage. The flooding can also 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 ebook
Do-It-Best-Yourself Mold Prevention,
Inspection, Testing, and Remediation.
1. 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.
2. 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 water meter is not turning because of water
flowing in a hidden or unknown water leak.
3. Make sure that your outdoor lot grading takes water away from your home
or business and NOT toward your home.
4. Make sure that the drain lines from your roof gutters take the water away
from your home or business and NOT put the rainfall into the ground around
your home foundation and basement walls.
5. 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.
6. 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.
7. 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].
8. 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].
9. 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.
10. 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, please visit:
http://www.mold-removal-remediation.com
http://www.floodwaterdamage.com
http://www.moldinspector.com
See also Natural Disaster Recovery: Fungi
& Flood (OSHA) |