It’s summertime, which means you’re likely spending your free time at the pool, grilling up some burgers, or simply enjoying the summer nights with family and friends. What you don’t want to spend your free time doing is unnecessary repairs around your home. Utah is not immune to heavy rains or flash floods. What are you doing to protect your basement from flooding? Prevention is always better than treatment, so today we’re going to share some tips with you to keep your summer filled with fun not work. Follow these three crucial steps to prevent basement flooding.
Gutters and Downspouts
Your gutters and downspouts may seem like a simple solution to prevent basement flooding but they do the trick! Make sure to keep them clear of any dead leaves or other debris so that water can move away from your home and basement. You should try to get the water to drain at least three feet away from your home, but the further the better. If you need to, get some troughs or other supplies to keep the water from pooling near your house and foundation.
Window Well Covers
If you have windows that are below grade, they will automatically be a target for water. By covering your window well with a clear window well cover, you can keep out most water and keep your basement dry. The great thing about a window well cover is that not only will you will be keeping out rain water, but also snow, leaves, twigs, pests and even pets or children. A well cover is a great way to protect your basement from many different things and is painless to install. Check out the window well cover options and prices at Windowell Expressions.
Proper Lawn Grade
If your lawn is does not have a proper grade or slope, no window well cover or gutter will protect you for long. Your home should sit on the highest ground of your property, leaving gravity to do most of the work for you and carry water and runoff away from your home and basement. If unfortunately, your lawn grades toward your house and fixing it is out of the questions, there are a few ways to improve water runoff from your property. You can dig a dry creek filled with rocks and direct the water around your home. There are also several other drain options that can be installed, like a French drain, to move water into a gravel trench, then a pipe, and then away from your home.
While these three options will help to prevent basement flooding, there are lots of other ways to improve your odds and avoid cleaning up a big mess. If your window well drain system needs to be updated to keep water draining propelry, or you’re interested in a window well cover, don’t hesitate to call the professionals at Windowell Expressions.