As Minnesota starts to transition from winter to spring, our lawns will see a drastic change from snow-covered to green grass. While it’s a welcome change, it does sometimes bring its own complications. To avoid potential flooding issues this spring, here are a few ways you can prepare.
Make sure your sump pump is working.
Even if your sump pump worked fine last year, there’s always the chance it’s been compromised by an electrical issue like a power failure, a damaged part, or it’s just not as effective due to age. Listen to see if you can hear it working, and keep an eye on it to make sure it’s properly taking care of any water that might get in.
Make sure your gutters and downspouts are clear.
After a freezing winter and snow pileups, your gutters could be blocked by ice or snow. Do your best to break it up or remove some layers so it has an easier time melting in a way that doesn’t affect your home’s foundation. Focus on clearing the downspouts so you can make sure that water is pushed away from your home.
Don’t let snow pile up against your home.
When snow stacks high against your home and foundation, it sticks around longer and saturates the ground around your foundation so much that homes typically see some water intrusions as a result. Transfer the snow closer to the street and try to break up any ice layers that might have occurred as well.
Get your grading corrected.
Even if your home avoided flooding during the spring thaw, there’s still months of heavy rainfall possibilities to go. Without proper grading, a heavy rainstorm could cause water to gather around your home instead of being directly away from it. A foundation expert will be able to assess where bad grading has occurred and how the issue can be solved.
Even after these tips, however, water intrusion can still happen—especially if we have a wet spring. If you do deal with flooding, or have in the past couple years, we’ll be able to help you narrow down the problem and find a solution. Call Concrete & Foundation Solutions to have our experts come by for an assessment of your properly and see how our services can help.