Risk & Business Magazine Gifford Associates Spring 2017 | Page 29

TIPS FOR A DRY HOME
Tips For A Dry Home
“T
here’s a storm a
coming ...” Here are a
few tips for keeping
your property dry.
Water. It is essential
for the survival of every living thing
on Earth. And yet, it can also be so
destructive. With changes in weather
patterns, we have seen news from one
corner of the planet to the other showing
how destructive water can be. Floods,
tsunamis, unprecedented rainfall.
And the water that breaks out of our
plumbing can be just as destructive.
Every home or business owner knows
that when water escapes or enters into
his or her property, the results can be
devastating. As we enter into that time
of year when Spring rains fall and eaves
troughs go about directing rainwater and
melting snow from roofs and foundations,
here are a few tips on how to reduce
the possibility of water damage to your
property, from outside or from within.
CHOOSING THE RIGHT APPLIANCE
HOSE
A broken washing machine hose can produce
up to 20 litres of water per minute.
There are two options when it comes
to appliance hoses: rubber or stainless
steel, braid-reinforced hoses. The choice
is clear. As they deteriorate over time,
replace rubber hoses with stainless
steel braided hoses. Stainless steel
hoses are up to 10 times less likely to
burst! Their design allows them to be
installed in tight spaces without kinking,
which can also cause rubber hoses to
fail faster. Faucet supply, toilet supply,
washing machine, and dishwasher
hoses all should be of this type.
PREVENT WATER FROM ENTERING
YOUR HOUSE
Eaves troughs direct rainwater and
melting snow away from your foundation
and exterior walls. To keep eaves troughs
functioning properly, keep them clear of
leaves and debris. Keeping them clean will
also prevent water from accumulating
and causing warping and bending. When
landscaping a yard, remember function
is as important as form. Ensuring the
yard is properly graded to direct water
away from the house will prevent
water from entering it, provided that
there are adequate moisture barriers
and weeping tiles installed on the
foundation and around the footings.
Water always chooses the path of least
resistance. During a heavy storm, the
ground can become saturated and the
water will need somewhere to go. If a yard
slopes away from the house, gravity will do
its job and move the water away. The next
time there is a storm, take a walk around
your yard and look for accumulated
puddles near the foundation of your home.
If water is not moving away from the
house, it could be moving into the house.
GOING AWAY?
There is a story of a family that went away
on a vacation. When they returned after
two weeks at the cottage, they opened
their front door to find water seeping
over the threshold. Their dishwasher
hose (rubber) gave way and began to
release water for the entire duration of
the vacation. When the family surveyed
the damage, the water had actually filled
their entire basement and was flowing over
the main level floor. That sort of damage
could have been prevented by simply
turning off the water at the main valve
and draining the pipes (by opening taps
and flushing the toilets after shutting off
the water) to prevent them from bursting.
Also by replacing that rubber hose with
one reinforced with braided stainless steel.
During the winter, keep the furnace
at a reasonable temperature and leave
cupboards that are under sinks open
to allow warm air to circulate around
the pipes. This will prevent any water
still in the pipes from freezing.
OTHER TIPS
Polybutylene (also called “Poly B” or
“PB”) plumbing should be inspected
and replaced, if necessary.
Sump pumps should be checked annually
to ensure they are operating properly.
Consider replacing them every three
years. Having a backup sump pump makes
sense too, especially when a pump is
called to work on a frequent or regular
basis. And perhaps give consideration to
investing in a water alarm. This can be
a complex, centrally monitored alarm
system or a simple battery-operated unit
to alert you if there is a water problem.
Finally, the importance of having a
backflow prevention valve installed at
the exit point of the main sewer of a
home cannot be understated. It is bad
enough having unwanted water come into
your home. A sewer back up is horrific!
And that can happen when too much
rain overloads the sewers and the only
direction for the rain to go is back into
the houses on the street where you live. +
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