Prepare Your St. Johns County Home Now for Upcoming Storms

8/1/2022 (Permalink)

SERVPRO of St. Augustine, St. Augustine Beach, S. Nocatee and World Golf Village is here to help restore your home back to pre-storm condition!

It's no secret that hurricane season can bring about damages to your St. Johns County home. Lightning strikes can cause fires, and high winds can tear off shingles, but one of the most common damages during storms is water damage. Hurricanes and severe storms can produce a large amount of water and rain in a small amount of time which can lead to flooding or leaks in your home. While you can't stop the rain, you can prepare your home in advance to potentially avoid or minimize damages. 

Of the many issues that can cause flooding in your home or attic, an often-overlooked item is a clogged gutter system. Your home's gutters work as a diversion to send runoff from your roof to areas away from your house's vulnerable foundation but can often get filled with leaves and other debris. When this system fails or does not work as it should, the results could be serious. Keep reading below to learn about routine gutter maintenance and what to do if you experience flooding.

Keep Your Gutters Clean

The gutters surrounding your home exist to help rain and flood damage from occurring. Unfortunately, many homeowners do not even know they have a water channeling problem in their gutters until it is full and causing a water backflow or overflow situation to arise. Gutters need to be cleaned at least twice a year – in the spring and in the fall when you’re most likely to experience leaves or needs dropping and clogging up drains. If you have pine trees near your home, needles need to be removed every three months to reduce the potential for clogging the gutters and downspouts. There are actually a few simple steps to prevent this from happening, so you don’t experience a flood in your home. Simply getting up on the roof near your gutters and manually cleaning out the blockage is a good start. Many homeowners use a power spray or hose with a narrow nozzle to get the blockage you’re unable to get by hand. There are also services that will come out and keep your gutters clean if you prefer not to do it or shouldn’t for safety reasons.

Keeping Your Roof in Good Condition 

The Florida heat and elements can be tough on your roof. It’s important to keep an eye on your roof and focus on any areas of weakness where water may come through. Whether you go up on the roof yourself to inspect or hire a professional to do it, it’s a smart idea to give your roof the once-over at least once a year to prevent water damage from a leaky roof. Depending on what your roof is made of a simple repair could do the trick, or you may need more substantial work. It’s always a good idea to get a professional opinion to ensure your roof is in good condition and there is no damage, even the smallest water leak can cause damage, including mold.

Ensure Proper Drainage Around Your Home

Some storm and hurricane seasons can bring about more damage than others. Before you experience severe storms, walk around your property to make sure you have good drainage all the way around. If you find water puddling next to your foundation or see the water moving toward your home instead of away, it’s important to fix this so that water doesn’t seep in and cause damage to your home. Water should drain away from your home, not towards it! Not addressing this problem can cause issues eventually, so if you spot it, handle it early, well before the storms arrive.

What to do if You Experience Water Damage

If despite all routine maintenance and upkeep, you find stormwater making its way into your St. Johns County home, call the professionals at SERVPRO of St. Augustine, St. Augustine Beach, S. Nocatee and World Golf Village. From the moment that our IICRC certified technicians arrive on-site, they will work quickly and efficiently to assess what needs to happen to prevent further damage from occurring, extract all standing water and begin the dry-out process. Our team is ready to respond to your emergency 24/7/365, call us at 904-429-4457 to dispatch an emergency crew, or schedule a free estimate!