Langston Insurance Blog
Prepare with More Than Flood Insurance: Florida Resident Get Ahead
10/4/2011 7:10:00 AM
The flood insurance Florida residents have will certainly cover damage and costs depending on the individual policy, but it won’t give you back the time you spend. It’s important as a homeowner to know your home inside and out. In saying that, the most frequent place in your house that will flood is the basement. It’s important to understand why basements flood and how you can prevent it from flooding in the first place!
Why do basements flood?a leak or crack in your home’s basement walls;
poor lot drainage
failure of foundation drains and overflowing or leaking downspouts.
Basement flooding may also occur because of:
a blocked connection between your home and the main sewer in the street.
a back-up of wastewater in the sewer system
a combination of wastewater and rainwater from the sanitary or combined sewer system.
failure of a sump pump (in some areas) used to pump weeping tile water.
The reasons for why a basement floods may be prevented with the proper preparation and attention to detail. Aside from purchasing your flood insurance, Florida residents: listen up!
Why do basements flood?
The reasons for why a basement floods may be prevented with the proper preparation and attention to detail. Aside from purchasing your flood insurance, Florida residents: listen up!
- Build up the ground around your foundation, so that it slopes away from the house at about one inch per foot, for at least six feet.
- Put appliances, furniture and other items up on blocks, or build a flood wall around the appliances
- In window wells, put in about 1/2 inch of gravel sloping away from the house.
- Make sure that the sides of the window well extend above ground level.
- If the heating ducts are under the basement floor, make sure they are insulated and watertight.
- Have a licensed plumber install a backflow valve (see below) to keep water from backing up into your basement through the drain
- Install a false floor over the basement floor, allowing the water to flow to a drain or sump pump
- Install an interior or exterior drainage system, including a sump pump. An exterior drainage system is the most effective, but may also be the most expensive.
Of course, not all basement flooding can be prevented. For any questions regarding purchasing or reviewing your current flood insurance, Florida residents are always welcome to call us at Langston Insurance!
