"April showers bring May flowers" is a tried-and-true expression — but for homeowners, the rain and moisture can also bring headaches.
Jeremy Pilon, a communications specialist with SGI, said that without proper preparation, people can end up dealing with wet basements.
“Be it sewer backup or flooding from the surface, it’s important to get your home ready this time of year,” he said.
In the spring, there are a few key things to check to ensure flood prevention systems are in place — starting with sump pumps.
“Go down, find the sump pump, lift the float, make sure it’s running, make sure any water that does go in there is flowing to where you want it to go."
If a home is equipped with a backwater valve on the sewer main, now is the time to inspect it.
“Now is a good time to open that up, check that everything is moving inside of there and it works correctly, and you also clean that up just using a toilet brush — making sure that’s all ready to go in case there should be an influx of water so that it can stop any water from coming into your house.”
Pilon also advised checking that downspouts are pointed away from the building, with extensions set so the water is discharged at least six feet from the foundation.
“Also monitor the catch basin drains around your neighbourhood, making sure they’re clear of any leaves, garbage or debris. That way, anything that is flowing away from your house has somewhere to go. Your neighbours will be thankful for that as well.”
Another thing to watch for is standing water, especially near buildings. Ensuring proper grading in and around the home can help water flow away from the foundation. Pilon also suggested considering a battery backup system for the sump pump.
“If your home doesn’t have a backwater valve, you know, that kind of thing. If you’re doing any renovations in your basement, start checking to see if you have a backwater valve and have one installed. And if you are looking to do that, talk to your insurance broker and make sure that you’re installing the right kind, so that a lot of insurance policies will grant you a discount or maybe extra coverage because you have one of those installed.”
He added it’s also important to make sure all cracks and holes in the foundation are sealed against water and weather.
When it comes to insurance coverage against flooding, each policy is different.
“You want to talk to your insurance broker to make sure that you have the coverage that you’re expecting from it, because some policies don’t have sewer backup coverage. A lot of insurance policies won’t cover you for things like seepage — so, your foundation or overhead water flooding,” said Pilon.
“You want to speak to your broker and make sure you have that coverage available or at least understand whether or not you do.”
Even if the coverage is in place, using it may lead to a higher deductible.
“It might lead to higher premiums or changes in your coverage. So, prevention is always better than using your insurance policy.”
Pilon said SGI has not seen a significant number of flood-related claims in recent years.
“There are obviously specific locations that come up on occasion, but the last couple of years have been fairly dry. But all it takes is the river backing up in Weyburn or something like that to change things.”
He reiterated that the most important thing homeowners can do is ensure there is no standing water around the property, and that water is draining away from the house.
“If you have restrictions or you’re not an expert on these things, certainly finding someone — a contractor in your area — to come and take a look around and advise on what upgrades you might need would be valuable."
“A deductible is not cheap, and having a sewer backup in your basement is more than not cheap — it’s really unpleasant and something to be avoided.”