Protecting Your Home from the Unthinkable

You work hard to pay off your mortgage and keep the electricity running. You have even become a proud homeowner. The lawn is always freshly cut and a little extra paint keeps the place looking fantastic. Your neighbors all know that you have the best looking house on the block. Despite all the time and effort you put into making your home a great place to live, it only takes one encounter with the unthinkable to bring your home to ruin; but, what could possibly cause such damage to your dwelling? The following common home misfortunes should top your list of concerns as a responsible homeowner.

When You Play With Fire Your Home Gets Hurt

Most major cities have fire departments, because it is well known that house fires are a very common threat to unsuspecting homeowners. All it takes is for a young child to get their hands on a pack of matches to set your home ablaze; therefore, it goes without saying that such items should be kept well beyond the reach of little children. Dried out leaves piled up next to a home is another common situation creating fuel for a ravenous house fire. Keeping flammable substances and debris properly maintained is a key strategy to protecting your home from fire damage. Having a fire extinguisher on hand also helps in case a fire accidentally gets started in or around your home; but, simply knowing you need a fire extinguisher is not enough. According to article posted here, being trained to properly select and use the right type of fire extinguisher for extinguishing a particular type of fire is also important for saving property and lives. This means you should become trained in the art of fire safety and extinguisher use prior to fire claiming your home, not afterwards.

Avoiding Structural Impact Damage

Because your home sits in a constant stationary location, this makes it vulnerable to impact damage of all types. It is not like your home can move out of the way of falling hail or the big tree that just got struck with lightning that uses your home to break its fall. Do not forget grandma, who is unable to see so well these days, got a little too close to the front door with the bumper of her car. Although you may not be able to prevent a falling meteor from punching a hole through your house, you can take certain measures to limit the impact potential of other moving objects. Moving your driveway to the side of your home will prevent someone from plowing their car into your home. Removing rotten trees or branches will prevent trees from causing impact damage as well. According to this source, Installing impact resistant materials will help to limit the roof and structural damage caused by hail and other objects a storm might pitch at the top of your home.

When Rainy Weather Turns Your Basement Into a Pool

You might think that because your basement is underground that it is safe and secure. The truth is that basements tend to be prone to water and flooding damage. All water needs is a path of least resistance, such as a small crack formation caused by normal settling, for gravity to pull water down into your basement. During a rainstorm, your basement could easily turn into a pool of standing water. To prevent this from occurring, it is important to make sure your basement has a properly functioning drainage system. Patching or replacing cracks, installing a sump pump, or making sure your basement sits above the waterline will help to avert this type of damage from wreaking havoc on your home over and over again. Having your yard and basement inspected for potential problems is another proactive step a responsible homeowner can take to prevent an unfortunate run in with water damage—especially if your home is located inside a flood zone.

Conclusion

Protecting your home from disasters can be a daunting task. Becoming aware of the various types of home disasters that can occur is a great first step to developing a defensive home protection strategy. Making sure your home is able to avoid large scale, costly damage is essential to retaining the equity in your home; consequently, it is worth the time and effort you spend to ensure your home stays out of harm’s way.