Winter Storms - Prepare to Prevent Storm Damage

9/27/2019 (Permalink)

Winter is just around the corner. Now is the time to start preparing your home or business for cold temperatures. SERVPRO of Ottumwa/ Oskaloosa recommends doing these steps to help prevent winter water damage.

• If you live in a modular home or a home with a crawl space, make sure your water pipes have a working heat trace system and your crawl space is properly insulated.
• Turn off water to all outside spigots and open outside faucets to drain water from water pipes.  Make sure all hoses are disconnected from the outside spiots.
• Make sure your gutters are clean of all debris and leaves. This will help prevent ice jams from forming during warmer winter weather when the snow and ice are melting.
• If you have a basement, take a walk around the outside of your home, if the dirt is separated from your foundation in any area, take the necessary precautions to fill the gaps and encourage drainage away from the foundation. This will help water from seeping into your basement from the walls.
• Cover any window wells on the outside of your home to help prevent snow and ice from building up inside of them.

If winter water damage does occur in your home or business, please call SERVPRO immediately. The longer you wait to have the water remediation completed, the more damage you may have.