The Rains of South Dallas & Home Restoration Requirements it Presents
Climate change has been affecting weather everywhere, even in the US. In South Dallas, climate change has brought with it heavy rains. While South Dallas has always had a dedicated monsoon season, the weather change has stretched the monsoon period and has increased its intensity. The recent lower air pressure in Dallas also promotes this intensity of rain.
As climate change is only expected to worsen, we must prepare our homes to withstand the heavy rains. Preparing a home to withstand heavy rains reduces the chances of water damage and thorough home restoration after the rains. It also helps maintain quality of life, which can otherwise be greatly affected through water damage.
Without further ado, let’s look at the seven home restoration measures that can prepare your home in South Dallas for heavy rains:
Clean the Outdoors
Open trash, piles of leaves, or any unwanted debris in your front yard, backyard, driveway, or garden will get wet from rainwater, which will cause it to spoil. Before rain is expected, make sure that there is no trash lying around and no open trash bins either. If your trash bins are even slightly broken, cover them with a plastic sheet.
Sweeping the outside of the house will also help. Dispose of the dead leaves and branches properly. Trim big and old branches, too, as they are prone to be broken by wind or water pressure and can cause structural damage to your home.
Drain the Sewage Lines
Heavy rain will fill the sewage lines in the entire region. In such a situation, if there’s any trash or other blockage present in your home’s sewage lines, the water will rise the pipes and affect your home. Before the rain, ensure that all the pipes are free of any blockage and that water is flowing freely from them. If you find a blockage, get it thoroughly cleaned.
Seal Doors and Windows
Water can get into the tiniest cracks and enter your home. Broken rubber seals on the edges of windows and doors can be a common entrance for rainwater. The water entering through broken rubber seals or cracks not only fails to shelter you and your family from rainwater but can also cause water damage to your home’s structure.
Repair or replace the seals as needed. If any cracks in any wall on which a door or window is fitted, fill the cracks with concrete or any other suitable sealant.
Check Insulation and Wall Panels
Your home’s walls are a layer of protection between you and the outside rain. As walls face heavy rain pressure, it is important to maintain them. Regular wear and tear of a home can create gaps or cracks in the walls too. Insulation sheets in the walls can also get damp and swollen, causing further damage to wall panels.
Make sure there is no way for rainwater to seep into your home’s walls or inside your home through them. Damp walls can weaken and collapse over time and promote mold growth, leading to severe health issues.
Maintain the Foundation
A home’s foundation can also develop cracks and gaps with time. Water from heavy rains can stay standing on the ground or get absorbed into it. Either way, it can seep into the foundation through unchecked cracks.
Water seeping into the foundation can cause severe damage to a home. Water can stay between the foundation walls for as long as the situation remains unchecked. The seeped water can cause different building materials to weaken with the water. It can also spread to the surface level of the home and throughout the home’s structure.
A damp home structure can be very dangerous. It can promote mold growth and the entire home to collapse if it’s not dealt with in time.
Run a Dehumidifier
Heavy rainfall can increase humidity in the air. This humidity can cause your home’s structure and other surfaces to get damp. Dampness not only leads to water damage but can also promote mold growth in your home.
While running a dehumidifier is not a usual home restoration method, it can greatly lower the cost you will have to spend on home restoration. A dehumidifier is an easy way to get rid of dampness from your home’s structure. A portable dehumidifier can easily be taken to various parts of the house.
As it directly lowers the humidity level inside the home, it also improves the air quality you breathe. It also makes the environment pleasant by getting rid of the excess moisture in the air and the feelings of stuffiness.
Locate and Maintain Power Lines and Outlets
Heavy rain can cause water to seep into open power outlets. A malfunctioning power line or outlet can easily become a source of uncontrolled damage to the home. Make sure you can access your home’s main power lines safely, even during heavy rainfall. Maintaining power lines throughout the home’s structure, especially at various outlets, will ensure safety for you and your family.
It is very difficult to reverse the climate change effects. However, adapting your home to withstand these effects will not only ensure that you and your family survive but will also let you thrive in any environment.
As much as you can ensure the above-mentioned home restoration steps with a little help, you can also seek the help of professionals for extra safety. There are many restoration services in South Dallas, such as the 911 Restoration of South Dallas, that provide thorough home restoration services for personal and commercial properties.
