How to prevent water damage

Water damage is common — in fact, the Chambre de l’assurance de dommages (ChAD) says it’s behind more home insurance claims than anything else. Here are ten ways to keep it from happening to you.

1. Know where your water shut-off is

Do you know where your home’s main water valve is? Great — now make sure everyone you live with knows too. That way, anyone can shut off the water fast if a pipe lets go.

2. Keep an eye on your appliances

Never run the washing machine or dishwasher while you’re out. Check their hoses regularly and replace them every ten years, or sooner at the first sign of trouble (bulging, cracks, corrosion). When you do, go with braided-steel hoses — InfoAssurance notes they outlast rubber ones.

3. Replace your water heater

Like appliance hoses, a water heater has about a ten-year lifespan. If yours is getting up there, check it regularly to head off nasty surprises: a flooded basement, a damp house, mouldy walls, warped floorboards.

4. Clear your eavestroughs

Come fall, leaves and samaras can clog your eavestroughs in a hurry, sending rainwater toward your foundation instead of out to the street, the lane or the backyard. Don’t skip it — keep them clear.

5. Drain your outdoor taps

Before winter, drain the pipes feeding your outdoor taps — they’re the ones most likely to freeze. Close the indoor valves that supply them, open the outdoor taps to let the water run out, and once they’re empty, leave them closed for the season. Drain your garden hoses too. It keeps trapped water from freezing and cracking your pipes.

6. Heading away in winter? Take precautions!

Pipes can freeze and plug up if you’re away more than four days in winter with the heat off. The pressure can burst them, flooding the whole house. Before you go:

• Shut off the water supply.
• Drain the pipes.
• Ask someone you trust to check in and make sure the heat’s keeping the place warm enough.

7. Check your roof

Winter piles on snow, rain and ice. When all three build up, keep a close watch on your roof — especially if it’s flat. Small cracks can open up and let water in. In a worst case, the roof can even give way.

8. Mind your trees

The trees around your home may be gorgeous, but make sure their roots aren’t creeping into your water and electrical lines — they can wreck your drains, pipes and septic tank. Keep it in mind when you landscape, and plant new trees well clear of your pipes.

9. Have your plumbing checked

Noticing leaks, more dampness, even mould? Get a plumber to inspect your drain, sump pump and backwater valve. Better safe than sorry.

10. Install water detectors

Water detectors sound an alarm at the first sign of excess moisture or a small leak. Put them where trouble tends to start: near the water heater, sump pump, appliances and toilets.

If water damage does happen and your policy covers it, call your broker right away — we’ll take it from there. And if you’ve got questions in the meantime, reach out anytime. We’re always happy to help.