Dealing with indoor flooding is enough to drive anyone crazy. Not only can it be frustrating to deal with the clean up and repairs, but often times, those repairs can be expensive.So how can you do your best to stop flooding? Here are a few preventative tips:
Poor foundation: Most homes are designed specifically to allow flood water to flow freely underneath and beside the structure. Typically, houses are built on a concrete base, but if that concrete foundation is cracked or was constructed improperly, water could easily seep in.
Plugged gutters It’s not at all uncommon for leaves, branches, and debris from shingles to plug up gutters. In cases of rainfall, plugged gutters can allow the water to build up in reservoirs next to the home rather than flow out safely to the sewer.
Plumbing issues: Plumbing problems can encompass everything from a full septic tank to leaky or burst pipes. Hopefully, these issues will be caught quickly, but small leaks can go unnoticed for a long time until there is a serious problem. If you do find any signs of plumbing issues, it’s worth calling a sewer line repair service.
Damaged water heater: Basement flooding is often the result of a leaking water heater. In most heaters, the water supply is endless, so it can continue to fill itself. That means a leak can spew out water 24 hours a day. Just as with regular plumbing issues, call for repairs immediately.
Nature: Believe it or not, one of the worst problems that causes flooding is mother nature herself. Freezing during cold seasons can be a serious issue, but trees and other plant life can also be problematic.
On average, a tree’s root system can grow 12 to 36 inches below the surface, and can extend two to three times the diameter of the canopy. These roots can easily crack and burst pipes that can only be mended by sewer line repair services. In serious cases, an entire trenchless pipe replacement may be required.
It’s difficult to say exactly how long a sewer will last, but experts recommend they be replaced at least every 40 years. Otherwise you could be looking at some painful sewer line repair costs from one of the 104,852 plumbing and sewage companies in the United States.
Keep on eye out for any of these threats. It could save you tons of money and frustration.
