Protect your home for the rainy season just made it a bit easier. This year, I’ve learned from past mistakes and compiled some easy to follow tips from our team of trusted home inspectors in order to help you prepare your home for the rainy season.
1: Keep Your Gutters Clean
The gutters on your home are an essential part of keeping your property protected from damage. They ensure that water flows away from the house and keeps it dry. If you don’t keep your gutters clean, however, this can lead to serious problems not only for your roof but also for the foundation of the house.
Here are some tips on how to keep your gutters clean:
Clean twice a year – once in the dry season and again before the rainy season begins. You may want to clean them more often if there is a lot of debris around or if there are trees near your home. Check them at least every other week during heavy rain periods or after windy days to make sure everything’s flowing smoothly.
Make sure downspout extensions keep water away from the house’s foundation. Most downspouts have extensions that direct water far away from the house foundation; however, sometimes these extensions get clogged with leaves and other debris which can cause water to come back towards the foundation walls instead of going into the gutter system where it belongs. If this happens, you’ll need to clear out these extenders so they’re working properly again!
2: Seal Your Window And Doors
Windows and doors are important parts of your home. They provide ventilation, reduce noise and keep the elements out. However, they also have a tendency to leak. This happens when water enters through cracks in the frame or molding around the window or door.
The rainy season is approaching, which means that your house will become damper than usual. It also means that there could be leaks around your windows and doors that you haven’t noticed before. The best thing you can do is to seal them up before the wet season begins so that you don’t have problems later on.
The rot of wood frames in doors and windows can lead to swelling or sticking windows/doors. You may notice this problem when you try to open or close your door for some reason; it may not budge at all! This happens because water has been absorbed by the wood frame over time, making it soft and weak enough for mold growth.
3: Keep Your Perimeter Drains Free Of Debris
Perimeter drains are a part of your home’s foundation that keeps water away from your basement and foundation. These drainpipes are located along the outside of your house, along with any eaves troughs. It’s important to keep them free of debris so that water can flow freely away from your home.
Firstly, make sure all debris is cleared from your perimeter drains. If you have a basement in your house, it’s important to clean out the debris in the perimeter drains so water can flow away from the foundation of the house or into a sump pit and not into the basement. Keeping these drains clear is as simple as lifting the grates and pulling out any leaves, branches, or garbage that has fallen in. It is important to make sure that nothing is blocking the path for water to drain.
Around most homes, the perimeter drain is approximately 1 meter wide and lies between two layers of gravel. If you have trees nearby, you may need to check this more frequently when you inspect your eaves troughs in spring. Don’t let anything but rainwater go down these drains as they lead back into our watersheds!
4: Inspect you roof
When it comes to keeping your home safe from the elements, a good roof is one of the most important things you can do. A leaky roof can cause serious damage to your property and belongings, not to mention make your home less comfortable to live in. You should inspect your roof in advance of the rainy season to prevent water damage. Make sure your roof covering is free of missing or lost tiles You should also look for signs of damage, such as cracked tiles, and loose nails. Re-nail loose covering to prevent leaks and keep rainwater out of your home. Replace missing or damaged tiles.
You should also make sure that the flashing on your roof is intact since flashing prevents water from entering gaps and other joints in your roof during heavy rains. Additionally, keep an eye out for moss growth on your roof because even a small amount can trap moisture beneath the tiles, causing the wood beneath them to rot and causing leaks inside your house.
5: Keep Your Trees Trimmed Around Your House
One of the most important things you can do to help protect your home and family is to have your trees professionally trimmed. Cut back branches that are too close to your house and those that could fall on power lines. Having these tree limbs out of the way will help you and your home stay safe, especially during a heavy storm.
You may think that it’s better to cut down trees than let them grow too tall, but this isn’t always the case. Trimming will keep them at the right height and make sure they’re not in danger of falling on anything or anyone. Prepare your home
When trimming trees around your home, there are several things to consider:
Don’t cut back branches that are too close to an electrical wire. Power lines should be at least 30 feet away from any tree trunk or branch so that if one breaks off and falls, it won’t come into contact with a line. If a branch is too close to a line, it should be removed completely rather than trimmed so that it still touches the wire but doesn’t pose any danger if it falls or is cut back later on when there isn’t enough foliage protecting it from breaking off altogether.
Don’t trim just because it looks nice or because you want more light coming through your windows
6: Prepare your home and family for flooding
Flooding is becoming of the most common types of natural disasters in the South Africa.
Here are some tips on how to prepare your home for possible flooding:
Do you have a plan in case of flooding? Do you have a disaster kit with flashlights, water, food, flood bags, and other necessities? Are you aware of how to turn off the electricity and water in your home? If not, you should familiarize yourself.
Flooding is a possibility. Listen to your local authorities if they tell you to move higher or safer during the rainy season. Know your flood risk. Make sure that everyone in your family knows what is expected of them in case of an emergency. Know what disasters are most likely to happen and prepare your home.
Make a plan for your pets. When evacuation might be necessary (like during heavy rains), don’t leave pets behind! Ensure that everyone is aware of their responsibilities in the event of a disaster so no one is surprised.
7: Keep your insurance up-to-date
Keep your insurance up-to-date. . Property damage is expensive, so you need to be prepared!
If you are prepared, then the next time it rains you will be ready.
when you are prepared, then the next time it rains you will be ready.
If it is not raining, then that is the best time to prepare for rain.
When rain happens it will fall and cause damage to your home.