We’ve all seen or read about them in the news at one time or another: floods and flash floods. Last December, in Laguna Beach, a combination of high tides and rain overflow paralyzed the town for days, and caused hundreds of thousands of dollars in damages to residential and commercial properties. And this scenario is nothing new: in many areas throughout the United States, floods cost lives and damage properties every year. In cases like these, home security systems with flood alarms are not going to protect you from onslaught of all that water. This is why, if you live in a flood-prone area, it’s a sound idea to amp up your home security system to protect your home’s foundation. Systems like those provided by FloodSafe USA can help. Instead of merely alerting you to a water threat, they actually seal your home’s foundation-to-wall base joint and prevent water from seeping in. In addition, all exterior walls are treated with several layers of industrial-grade coatings to make them waterproof to the designated flood zone elevation. Mold and mildew resistant materials are applied to the air space behind all masonry veneer walls, so no moisture can build up there and form a structural and health hazard. Of course, windows are always weak spots in every home security system. Floods can burst windows, or debris carried by the water can break them and cause immediate water damage to your interior. To prevent this, FloodSafe USA also installs state-of-the-art flood windows that are designed to prevent any of this from happening. The same goes for all exterior doors. And some of the most overlooked dangers of flooding are formed by exterior electrical outlets. To avert any danger of electrical shortages, all exterior electrical outlets are raised to above the designated flood zone elevation. Last, but not least, preventative measures are taken to ensure all plumbing is protected. This way, sewers won’t back up, and your drink water will not be contaminated.
If you’re buying new construction, it’s a good idea to flood-proof your home as a part of your new home security system. This way, any necessary modifications to the construction plans can be made before construction begins, and save you a lot of cash in performing the necessary modifications later. It’s important to understand that preventative measures like these significantly increase the value of your home, and lower the insurance risks as well. Remember to enquire with your insurance policy about reductions to your homeowner’s premium.
