Water Loss Prevention: Top 10 Tips for Homeowners to Prevent Flooding

Guest Blogger - Alex Byrne, The Co-operators Insurance - Water-related loss is the most common home insurance claim in Canada. It is also among the most expensive types of loss. According to the Insurance Bureau of Canada, Canadian insurers pay an average of 1.7 billion each year due to water-related home insurance claims.
 

Every home is at risk of basement flooding, even if you have never experienced flooding in the past. Water in your basement is most likely to occur when there has been heavy rainfall, snow melting, or during a spring thaw. No one can control the weather but there are some steps that you can take to prevent, or at least reduce the chance of water damage.

To help you start thinking about steps as a homeowner that you can take to help prevent water damage in your home, check out the list below: 

10 tips for homeowners to help prevent basement flooding

1. Contact your local government to get information on any available programs on reducing basement flooding.
2. Have a plumbing inspection done on your home to determine best options based on the plumbing and sewer connections of your home. These can include:
1. Installing a backwater valve.
2. Installing an automatic back-up pump to your existing sump pump if you have one. Batteries or a generator can be used to power the back-up pump.
3. Improve the drainage outside of your home by:
1. Keeping weeping tiles clear and in good repair.
2. Making sure your downspouts drain water away from your house.
3. Disconnecting downspouts from sewers.
4. Making sure your grading allows for correct drainage.
5. Install window wells at basement windows to create an extra barrier to keep water out.
6. Keeping outside drains clear.
4. Use a rain barrel to catch water run-off from downspouts.
5. Avoid storing items directly on the basement floor. Always store on shelves and in watertight plastic containers, whenever possible.
6. Make sure you have at least one floor drain in the same room as your washing machine.
7. Avoid pouring all fats, oils and grease down your drains. You would be surprised how quickly the deposits add up, and can cause a blocked drain or pipe.
8. Check that hoses on dishwashers and washing machines are made of braided stainless steel.
9. If you have a water dispenser and/or ice maker in your refrigerator, make sure the water line uses either copper or braided stainless steel.
10. Seal any cracks in foundation walls and basement floors.

Benefits of loss prevention

We all know that accidents and storms happen; but you can play a vital role in preventing water damage to your property. Take action to try and limit potential damage to your property. Some benefits of loss prevention may include:

• Possible discounts
• Access to higher limits of coverage 
• Potential municipal programs available to compensate homeowners who install loss prevention devices (refer to your local municipality for information on programs).

Visit bennettpros.com for all your real estate needs.

Home Maintenance: Condo vs Home

It does not matter what type of property you own, it will require maintenance at some point or another. However, the type of maintenance that each type of property requires is different. While a house gives complete ownership of the structure and the lot it is constructed on, a condo works differently.

Condos that are part of Ottawa real estate involve different types of housing styles. These include townhouses, apartment style buildings and single family homes built on shared lots. When you own a condo, you get ownership of everything that is inside your front door. However, the grounds, elevator, pools, hallways, club houses and parking lots are the responsibility of the condo association.

When you own a house there are different types of maintenance that are your responsibility. If you want to make changes to the structure of the house, modify the plumbing, add some light fixtures, change the flooring or add a new roof, you will have to hire a contractor to do so. If you have just bought a resale home in Ottawa  than there are many maintenance costs that you have to look into. You might also need to change a lot of things because they are old.

A condo may not be the same as a house, but it is much better than living in an apartment and paying a monthly rent to the landlord. The condo is your property. You make monthly mortgage instalments to own the property. You do not have to worry about the grounds, parking lot or the pool. The monthly condo association fee takes care of all these things without bothering you. The fee will cost you much less than it would cost you to maintain a house and pay the home owner’s association charges.

It is however your responsibility to maintain the flooring, roofing, plumbing and other such things within the condo. It is important that you treat the condo just the same way you would treat your home because you are investing your hard earned money in it.

The rules and regulations that are set by your condo association are important to follow. You have to be careful about the number of people residing in the condo unit and at the same time you have to follow all the rules when using the common property of your condo.

Even though maintaining a condo is much easier than maintaining a home, it is a good idea that you check with the Condominium Corporation about all the rules and regulations that apply. Your Ottawa real estate agent can help you understand about all the maintenance costs and procedures in detail.

Visit www.bennettpros.com for all your real estate needs.