Protect Your Home from Spring Showers

Don’t let the rain bring you or your home down – take a few simple steps to prepare your home, then sit back and enjoy the first signs of spring!

Prepare your trees for the storm.

·     With new trees, avoid planting too close to wires or the house.

·     Begin an annual pruning practice. Dead or weakened limbs and excessive branches can do severe damage during rainstorms.

·     For trees that hang over your home or otherwise threaten it, hire a professional arborist to strengthen a tree by installing cabling.

·     Keep trees healthy by watering and fertilizing.

Secure your outdoor property.

·     With rain can come heavy wind. Tie down all patio furniture, or store inside to protect your home and neighboring homes. Move other large items such as trash bins and plants inside as well.

·     Have a pool? Contrary to popular belief, you should not drain it. Properly installed pools are equipped with overflows to drain excess water, and the water in your pool serves as a kind of shield, protecting your pool's finish from the effects of flying debris.

Check your home’s perimeter.

·     Make sure drains and gutters are cleared to avoid backup and flooding.

·     Seal leaky windowsills or doorframe cracks with caulking. Cracks in old caulking will tell you that it is old and needs to be redone.

·     Wood doors exposed to the elements may also need a new coat of waterproof varnish to avoid soaking up water.

Don’t forget the basement.

·     Protect basement walls by sealing them with a cement or concrete sealer.

·     If you live in an area that’s prone to flooding, avoid storing important documents or other valuables in your basement or first floor. Use a waterproof box to store photos, documents and other valuables.

Think of the environment, and your bottom line, as rain approaches.

·     Turn off automatic sprinkler systems as rain approaches, a best practice that will also lower your water bill.