(BPT) - Before leaving on your summer vacation, it's important to remember a crucial part of your planning: preparing your home for your extended time away. With extreme temperatures, periods of drought and severe storms being some of the many elements your home might face when you’re away, it’s important to take time to do proper prep so that you don’t arrive back home to a nasty — and costly — surprise. The team at Groundworks is sharing five steps to help make sure your home is in tip-top shape when you return.
1. Maintain Your Gutters and Downspouts Before departing, clean your gutters and inspect them for any signs of damage. Ensure downspouts are directing water at least five feet away from your home.
Clogged or damaged gutters can lead to water pooling around your foundation, causing potential damage to your foundation and basement. 2. Inspect Your Foundation Your home's foundation is its backbone, and making sure it’s structurally sound before you leave is important.
Be sure to walk the perimeter and look for signs of foundation issues, such as cracks in walls and floors, doors that stick, or uneven floors. These issues can worsen over time if left unattended, so if you see any, it’s time to fix them. One of the best ways to ensure your home is in good health is to schedule a professional home inspection.
Professional inspectors use advanced tools to detect issues that might not be visible to the untrained eye, providing a comprehensive assessment of your home's condition and giving you the opportunity to address problems before they could become major issues while you are away. 3. Waterproof Your Basement A damp basement can cause a multitude of issues inside your home.
Before leaving for vacation, check your basement for signs of water, such as pooling water, cracked walls, mold growth or musty smells. It’s important to find the cause of the issue and get it fixed before your home is unattended for an extended period of time, leading to further damage. Basement waterproofing solutions often include interior drainage systems, sump pumps with backup battery guards in the event of power outages, and vapor barriers.
Interior drainage systems effectively channel water away from your basement walls and floor, while sump pumps remove any accumulated water. Vapor barriers help prevent moisture from entering your basement. With these tools installed in your basement, you can vacation knowing your home is better protected.
4. Service Your HVAC System and Check for Leaky Pipes Getting your HVAC system checked before you leave will help your home maintain a steady temperature and reduce the risk of unexpected breakdowns before you return home. Furthermore, since your home will be shuttered while you are away, it’s important your air filters are clean to help avoid restriction of airflow, which can strain your HVAC system and also cause poor indoor air quality.
Proactively checking your pipes for cracks or leaks gives you an opportunity to fix the issue before it gets any worse without you there to notice. A flooded home not only causes significant damage and creates breeding grounds for mold and mildew, but if it’s severe enough, the hydrostatic pressure can cause issues with your home’s foundation — leading to other costly repairs. 5.
Give a Reliable Neighbor or Friend a Key It’s always a good idea to have someone stop by to bring in your mail, water your plants and ensure your home is in good shape. However, when a major storm or other extreme weather conditions roll through, you’ll also want someone reliable to check your home for any signs of damage so that you can arrange for repairs as soon as possible. You can ask that they walk the perimeter of your foundation to check for issues, look for any signs of water damage or leaking in the basement, check that the roof, gutters and downspouts are free from damage or clogs, and check to make sure your windows are intact and sealed without water seepage.
Have Peace of Mind by Being Proactive Using these steps to prepare for vacation not only provides peace of mind but also protects your most significant investment: your home. For more information on how to keep your home in top shape and to schedule a free inspection, reach out to Groundworks . Their goal is to help you enjoy a worry-free vacation with the confidence that your home is well-protected.
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