Protect Your Basement From Flooding

Your finished basement may very well be your pride and joy. You’ve probably spent thousands of dollars and a lot of time converting your concrete foundation into customized living space. You probably don't want a tidal wave of ground water or sewage making it's way into your new finished space. A flash flood, a cresting river or creek, or a simple summer tropical storm can potentially turn your new carpeting and dry-wall into a giant mold fest. Your finished basement isn't really finished, unless you have taken some of these flood prevention steps to protect it in the future.

My Best Friend

In the summertime there is no doubt that my best friends are my golf clubs, but in the wintertime my best friend is my roof rake. OK, I'll explain. Here in New York we tend to get quite a bit of snow in January and February. The only thing worse than shoveling snow off your driveway and walk, is trying to figure out how to get it off your roof before it backs up under the gutters and into the eves of the house, causing widespread damage to your walls and ceilings.

A roof rake will let you get potentially harmful snow off your roof with ease, and they cost very little. Some insurance companies may even give a preventative safety discount on your NY homeowners insurance for them. I use my roof rake quite often this time of year. A good roof rake is about two feet wide and can usually extend out about twenty one feet. They won't damage shingles and they can prevent ice damming too.

North East Hurricanes Are Real

It looks like this may be the year the insurance companies have been warning us about here in the northeast. So far three hurricanes have tracks that take them dangerously close to the North Atlantic shore line, one has already passed us without concern. However, it is better to be prepared, arm yourself with knowledge and take precaution. I found an excellent resource in the "Disaster Safety Organization", click their link for a complete hurricane related knowledge base. DisasterSafety.org

Remember to check your coverages with your New York homeowners insurance agent as soon as possible to avoid any potential loopholes or gaps in your insurance too.

Be Prepared For Anything

The heart-wrenching pictures of the damage in the recent earthquakes in Haiti and Chile remind us that earthquakes can strike in unexpected places and unexpected moments. It’s never too early to protect your family and home from disaster.

Being prepared turned out to be a key factor in lessening the loss of life in Chile, despite one of the largest quakes in history at 8.8 on the Richter Scale. Their stricter building codes are complemented by public awareness and earthquake preparedness.