The GTA has been struggling this year with flooding despite having a beautiful summer. Homes all over the city have experienced severe flooding that have damaged their precious belongings, ruined their homes, and cost them thousands of dollars. Thankfully, Toronto has a number of basement waterproofing contractors who can provide you with options to preventing flooding in your home for this year and well into the future.
Flood Control is Difficult Business
Flood control is difficult business, especially as Toronto’s own infrastructure varies from neighbourhood to neighbourhood. We pride ourselves on Toronto’s diversity in people, but Toronto was also built on a wide range of soils, gradients, and other factors that can make some areas more vulnerable to floods than others. This variety means flood control needs to be assessed by a professional, who can develop a specific strategy for your home.
There are various strategies you can use to keep your home flood free, but it all started with preventative maintenance of what your already have in your home. Most homes have plumbing in place to help with flooding, including backwater valves and sump pumps, which are designed to keep rising water levels from reentering your home. If you have experienced flooding in the past or are concerned with your home’s flood control, get a plumbing professional to inspect your home’s backwater valves and sump pumps.
Protect Your Home From Water Intrusion
Other ideas for flood control include flood-resistant doors and sealing other entrances in your homes, especially windows. All of these can keep the worst of flooding out of your home. Basement windows are especially important to seal, either by replacing them entirely with waterproof windows or fixing the ones you have. Sunken windows are especially susceptible to water because the water has nowhere to go except in your home, so effective drainage systems and water-resistant windows will keep your basement dry.
Flood Control Starts Beyond Your Home
Flood control strategies can extend past your home as well to prepare your entire property for floods. Flood gates and drainage strategies for keeping water away from your home are all good ideas for flood control. All of these are ideas for preparing for floods and should be considered long before the rain starts to hit.
And while your home may be fitted with the latest in flood control options, these will all be meaningless if your foundation is cracked or in need of repair. Foundations are the first line of defence against water entering your home. Nearly any plumbing contractor that specializes in waterproofing can inspect your foundation and recommend various steps in your home is in need of foundation repair.
Prepare Your Home
Like everything for your home, preventative maintenance and preparing for the worst will save you money in the long run. Flood control can be extensive or simple, involving complicated procedures or simply upgrading and inspecting what you already have. The best first step in flood control is inspecting three key water control systems in your home: backwater valves, sump pumps, and your foundation. If these three are all in working order, your chances of flooding are already decreased significantly.
