Severe weather conditions require certain home preparations. Ohio experiences its fair share of flooding, heavy thunderstorms, and even tornadoes that all bring buckets of rain down upon your house. Here is how to protect your home from heavy rain.
Inspect Your Roof
Roof inspections are key to avoiding cracks that will let water in. Even the smallest openings during sustained heavy rains can become quite serious and costly problems. Continuous rain will flood into your attic or uppermost floor, pooling into stagnant bodies of water that allow mold and mildew to fester in your roof and walls. If you are unable to inspect your roof yourself, consider finding professionals who can spot and fix issues easily.
Clean Your Gutters
Knowing how gutters work and why they are important can save you from unknowingly ignoring them throughout the year. Gutters are essential to your home’s exterior water drainage system. As rain falls, no matter how quickly or densely, it must travel down through the gutters and downspouts. But if you have clogged, cracked, or broken equipment, it will be entirely ineffective. Be sure to clean and clear out your gutters before heavy rainstorms or rainy seasons. Gutters only work when there is no debris obstructing the path of the water.
Check Exterior-Facing Seals
Your windows, doors, and other exterior-facing openings are all secured from the elements with seals. These pieces of material insulate your home from the world outside. However, these materials can crack and deteriorate over time, so be sure to check your windows and doors carefully. One thing to look out for is if you feel a draft near any opening. This likely means you have a crack somewhere that needs fixing before the next big storm.
Know how to protect your home from heavy rain and put these ideas into practice before the next downpour. With the right preparations, your home will be safe during even the fiercest storm.