How to prevent water damage caused by snowmelt flooding?

Snowmelt flooding is a common reason behind water damage to the buildings in snowy areas where melting water from streets tend to affect buildings and cause serious damage. It is also highly difficult to prevent snowmelt water from entering the building in case-specific measures have not been taken due to which the extent of damage caused may be high in most cases. Snow melts slowly and water starts to creep inside the building such as basements that can lead to long-term structural damage to the building as well as other water damage problems. Therefore, in this article, we will explain a few tips with the help of which people will be able to prevent water damage caused by snowmelt flooding.

Keeping snow away from the foundation of the building

It is the most prominent reason due to which snowmelt causes structural damage to the building. When snow is in contact with the foundation of the building or it is close to it then it will be able to damage different parts conveniently. Around 3/4 gallons of water is produced due to the melting of 1 cubic foot of ice and in case a large amount of snow is in contact with foundation then and it will result in lots of water reaching different parts of the building.  Therefore, we recommend users to regularly remove snow that is in contact with the foundation of the building and keep it at a distance of 4 feet so that it cannot cause severe damage.

Using a sump pump for removing water from the basement

Over the course of time, due to the melting of snow, water will start to accumulate in the basements and in case it is not immediately removed then it will lead to severe water damage to the building. However, in case there is a sump pump available then it will continue to remove water from the basement and keep the quantity of water to a low level, which will not be able to cause severe damage. Therefore, we recommend users to install a good quality sump pump so that the water level in their basements does not exceed the bearable limit.

Repair cracks and damages in the outer walls

In case there are cracks present in the outer walls of the building then they will provide a path to snowmelt flooding to enter inside the building and cause damage. Snowmelt flooding will also aggravate cracks in the outer walls leading to severe damage. This damage to the outer walls can be dangerous in severe cases. We recommend users to properly repair cracks in the outer walls in order to prevent snowmelt flooding from entering the building as well as water damage extending to other areas. Get more info about how to buy a house that has been flooded here.