Lake Bluff, Illinois, is a beautiful place to live, work, and play. Popular attractions like Sunrise Park and the exhibits at Artists on the Bluff Station Gallery make it a popular area for both locals and visitors alike.
Because it sits so close to Lake Michigan and is known for heavy rainfall and severe weather though, homes in this area are at increased risk for flooding and water damage.
Fortunately, there are ways you can protect your home.
In this blog, we’ll share our insider tips for preventing water damage, saving your property from flooding and moisture intrusion, and maintaining the value of your home.
8 Ways to Protect Your Lake Bluff Home From Water Damage
Did you know that water damage is one of the most common reasons people file homeowners insurance claims?
Unfortunately, it’s also one of the most expensive, with the average cost of water damage claims sitting right around $11,000.
Don’t worry, though – you can protect your Lake Bluff home from water damage with a few proactive steps.
Here’s what we recommend:
Outside the Home
1. Clean your gutters and downspouts
Your gutters and downspouts serve a critical purpose – they direct water off of and away from your home.
They also prevent standing water from building up and leaking into your home through your roof, walls, or gaps and cracks in your foundation.
Gutters can’t do their job when they’re clogged with dirt and debris, though.
To prevent gutter malfunctions and water backup, clean your gutters at least twice a year to get rid of blockages.
Each time you clean the gutters, double-check your downspouts to make sure they’re pointing away from your home.
2. Inspect and maintain your roof
Your roof prevents water from entering your home during bad weather or severe storms, so it’s important to protect it.
We recommend hiring a qualified roofing professional to conduct annual roof inspections and repair or replace old, broken, or cracked shingles.
If your roof gets ice dams in the winter, prevent water damage by adding heat tape to the edges of the roof or contacting a company that provides ice-dam water damage repair services like ServiceMaster of Buffalo Grove.
3. Maintain trees and landscaping
Every home looks better surrounded by lush, beautiful landscaping.
Unfortunately, the trees, bushes, and shrubs that add so much curb appeal can also increase your home’s risk of water damage.
To prevent this, keep trees near your home trimmed and remove dead or dying limbs.
Avoid planting trees or large bushes near your foundation, and keep gardens,
flowerbeds, and shrubs away from your foundation to prevent excess moisture buildup.
4. Inspect your foundation
Your home’s foundation serves as a watertight barrier designed to keep water out of your basement and crawl space.
Over time, though, your foundation may develop gaps or cracks that allow water inside.
To prevent this, inspect your foundation at least once a year for gaps, cracks, or weak points and fill them with a waterproof sealant.
You should also inspect and clear all the storm drains around your home to prevent water backup and make sure that the soil around your foundation is properly graded to direct runoff away from your foundation.
Inside the Home
5. Maintain your appliances
Appliances are a common cause of in-home water damage, and for good reason:
Water-bearing appliances like dishwashers, washing machines, refrigerators, and hot water heaters have parts that fail over time.
Fortunately, you can protect your home from water damage by maintaining your appliances.
Regularly check all appliances for leaks and consider hiring a professional plumber to provide annual inspections and maintenance.
If you notice worn, cracked, or brittle hoses or water supply lines, replace them immediately.
6. Insulate vulnerable pipes
If you live in an older home in Lake Bluff or one that has pipes in uninsulated areas, you may be at risk of water damage from bursts or broken pipes.
To prevent this, insulate exposed pipes in the attic, basement, and crawl space or wrap them in heat tape to prevent freezing.
7. Know where your water shutoffs are
If you haven’t already located them, find your home’s main water shutoff valve (usually located in the basement or crawl space) and the smaller valves that lead to each of your water-bearing appliances (usually located directly behind or beneath said appliance).
In the event of an appliance malfunction, turning these supply valves off is the fastest way to stop flooding and prevent extensive water damage.
8. Install a water detection device
One of the best ways to prevent water damage in your home is to install a water detection device that sounds an alarm when it comes into contact with moisture.
While these devices can be an investment, they detect low moisture levels or slow leaks that may otherwise go unnoticed.
Since many of them are “smart devices,” they’ll integrate seamlessly with your other smart home features.
There’s also a financial incentive to install these devices, as many homeowners’ insurance policies offer discounts for policyholders who use them!
Do You Have Water Damage at Your Lake Bluff, IL Property? We Can Help!
If you have water damage in your Lake Bluff home, you don’t have to face it alone.
The team here at ServiceMaster of Buffalo Grove can help! We’ve been providing water damage restoration services to Lake Bluff homeowners for over 20 years, and we’re here to serve you.
Don’t let water damage disrupt your life or destroy your home. Our team will help you reclaim your Lake Bluff property so that you can get life back to normal as quickly as possible.
Contact ServiceMaster of Buffalo Grove at (847) 459-3900 to schedule a water damage inspection today.
