3 Fall Clean-Up Tips to Prevent Winter Damage

Gutter Clean out - Fall creates a lot of leaves an falling debris, making sure your gutters are operating as they should is key in a successful winter season

• First: Assessing your Gutter

  Take a ladder and have a look at what is setting in your gutters - is there standing water caused by downspout blockage, leave, sticks all can cause your gutter to back up.

• Second: Removing Debris

  Grab a pair of gloves on and start taking the debris out if you use a bucket below it will make cleanup easy. Toss the debris into a bucket to clean out the big sticks and leaves that are blocking the flow.

• Third: Pressure Washing

  A pressure washer works best to really get all the sediment and sludge out of the base of the gutters. If you only have a garden hose, that will work too. Just make sure to get a powerful attachment to force the water through the gutter.

• Fourth: Gutter Attachment

  Ensuring sure that the gutters are properly attached and darning away from the foundation of your home or garage is the final step. You can do this by visually assessing them or by covering the downspout outlet and see how the water sets in the gutters. Some questions you may want to ask yourself include, ‘are the gutters leaking?’ or ‘is the water flowing the right direction?’.

Remove your Garden Hose Before Winter - If you do not remove your hose you may face a flooded basement come the spring of the year

• The water inside the garden hose will start to freeze when the temperatures drop, creating a block of ice at the base of the spigot.

• The pressure builds up in between the interior shut off, which is typically 6” in from the exterior of the house. This will hold air and, with the buildup of ice, the pressure can cause the pipe to burst.

• This is something that you will not notice until the next time you turn your spigot on.

• Make Sure Your Attic is Properly Vented

  • Did you know your attic needs to breathe?

  • The airflow in your attic is what can protect you from a leaking ceiling.

  • Condensation can build up in your attic if you do not have enough airflow or if you have hot spots leaking warm air into your attic.

  • The Diagram below shows how your attic should work properly to avoid and unnecessary condensation.

Water seepage after a rain storm

Water seepage in your basement after a rain storm?

Why is my carpet wet in my basement?

Although a rain storm is a blessing if your homes foundation is not ready for the influx of water it can cause water seepage. If you come home and find that you have wet carpet, wet drywall or water spots on the ceiling there is a good chance that water has entered your home. If you find yourself in this situation these are the steps you should take.

• Get a shop vac and suck up as much of the water as possible
• Start moving air by placing fans around the affected area.
• Try and find and stop the source of where the water is comeing in.
• If you can not find the water souce it is best to call a liceansed professional to find the cause.

Water seepage can be cause by many things

• Windows left open and the rain came in and affected a small area
• Bad or no landscaping can cause water to flow towards your home and seep through any cracks in the foundation.
• Rain gutters not properly placed to prevent water seepage around the foundation.
• Roof damage you are unaware of can cause water to seep into the attic creating pooling that will than affect the ceiling.

Questions you may ask after water seepage?

1. Is my carpet ruined?

   • This all depends on the type of carpet and how quickly you get the water removed from the affected area.

2. How long before mold will grow?

   • Mold takes 24-48 hours to start growing in the right environment, so the best idea is to get the water off the carpet as soon as possible and try to dry out the carpet pad.

3. Should I call my insurance company right away?

   • Most insurance companies have a grace period before you need to file the claim so if you are not sure how much it will cost you can wait to get pricing together before a claim is made.

Who do I call if I need help sucking up water in my basement?

If you are unsure of how to dry your wet carpets or do not have the equipment to do so, call Arrow Service Team. Our team of water removal professionals are available 24/7 to help prevent any further damages. Our team can move furniture, suck out all the water and setup fans to insure your property is back to normal in no time. Let us help you get back to normal.