Residential and Commercial Restoration Professionals in Chicago
Chicago, Arlington Heights, and Libertyville are areas of the Midwest where flooding due to heavy rain and melting snow are regular occurrences. In the most extreme cases, flooding can have a profound effect on properties, leaving basements, homes, businesses, and schools flooded without an easy way for property owners to clean up the mess.
Here are a few ways to prevent flooding in your Chicago area property before it starts.
How to Prevent Flood Damage Before it Happens
It’s easy to talk about the prevention of heavy rain after the water hits. However, taking preventative measures is the number one way to keep water away from your home.
1. Put measures in place to protect your home.
Before the rainy season hits, make sure your basement is sealed up tight. Check for any cracks in the foundation, around windows, and outside doors of the basement. Seal these cracks as quickly as possible, and call in a professional if you are unable to do this on your own.
2. Install a sump pump.
A sump pump’s only job is to keep your basement dry. This machine sits in your basement and turns on automatically when water is detected, pumping the excess water out of your basement and away from your home.
3. Turn off any appliances in the basement.
Before the flooding occurs, power down furnaces, gas valves, and electricity in the basement to avoid any potential fires during the storm. Remember to check the manufacturer’s directions before turning off any appliances for the proper way to do so – and do not attempt to turn anything off if it is not safe.
4. Move items to higher ground.
If there are personal items like documents, pictures, or electronics that could be ruined by rising water, remove these from the basement and move them to higher ground.
5. Evacuate if instructed to do so.
If emergency services instruct that your home/community needs to be evacuated for the safety of all in the area, do so quickly. Remember that you are being evacuated to stay safe, so be certain that you are doing so. Have an evacuation plan in place, and bring a flashlight, batteries, first aid kit, bottled water, and any other necessities.
6. Have an emergency plan before the flooding starts.
If flooding is common in your area, map out an evacuation plan. Layout all steps, emergency contacts, and review the evacuation plan with all family members several times a year.
What Do I Do If My House or Business Floods?
Despite the best planning, flooding can happen. If your home is subjected to flooding and water damage, McMahon Services is here to help with the cleanup. Our team of water damage restoration specialists are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The goal of our team is to make you feel as if you haven’t experienced water damage to your home – and get your property back to normal as quickly as possible.
CALL US FOR A FREE ESTIMATE ON FLOOD AND WATER DAMAGE REPAIR SERVICES!
We have crews available 24/7 to dispatch to Chicago and remediate any water damage caused by flood to your home or business. We offer FREE damage inspections and FREE estimates to residential and commercial customers in Chicago.
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