PREPARING YOUR HOME FOR DISASTER

HOW WE WORK TO GET YOUR HOME READY IN CASE A FLOOD OCCURS

All over the world, flooding has ravaged homes and communities and Oregon is no different. While for most, flooding isn't a continuous threat, it is one that we can work to be prepared for. 

According to Allstate in 2017, floods are the number one natural disaster in the United States. When a flash flood warning is issued, many people will start filling sandbags and cleaning gutters and doing what they can to get their homes flood ready. Rather than start preparing when the panic hits why not have your home equipped for floods year around?

Since flooding is not typically covered by homeowners insurance policies, people generally need to get a separate flood insurance policy to cover the damage if a flood hits. If your home falls in a high-risk flood zone and you carry a federally insured loan on your home then you are required to have flood insurance. You can check to see if your home is in a flood zone or earthquake zone on The Oregon Department of Geology Website. If your home is in a high-risk zone, then it may be a good idea to have flood insurance even if it isn't required. Sadly, the premiums for this has raised significantly since 2014 and will continue to go up. To help those costs go down, our Smart Vent products will dramatically reduce your annual premiums.

By installing mechanically engineered vents in your crawlspace, basement, and garage you can help your home survive a flood and reduce flood insurance costs. Here at John's Waterproofing, we offer either dry floodproofing or wet floodproofing vents. Due to cost-effectiveness and installation, most installers recommend wet floodproofing. With this technique when the hydrostatic pressure on the exterior of the home during a flood becomes too high, these vents will open and allow water into the interior space. By allowing water in they equalize the pressure on the foundation walls so that the home does not collapse with the force of the water against the weakest section of your home's foundation.

Most homeowners save an average of 30% off their flood insurance premiums by installing Flood vents. Not to mention, the peace of mind you get from knowing your foundation is safe in the event of a flood! It can be hard for most of us to think about prevention, but being prepared can make the difference between keeping your home and losing everything.

Call today for your free inspection and see if we can help you to reduce your flood insurance rates and protect your home from flood risk.