The rainy season, also known as the North American Monsoon (NAM), occurs from early July up until September and usually spreads from Mexico up to the Southwest United States. Summer may be fun, but it usually also comes with wetter days and heavy downpours, which can take a toll on our homes. Here are some pointers for preparing your home for the rainy season.
Thoroughly inspect the roof
Here is a checklist of what you need to watch out for when checking your roof:
- Check for warped or worn shingles. They can crack and allow rainwater to enter your home.
- Find a reliable supplier for sealants and adhesives and use their high-strength variants to seal the cracks, at least for now. When the rainy season is over, you can invite roofing experts to do a more long-term repair for these cracks and holes. Check the roof from the outside and also from the inside.
- Hire an expert to install new shingles, especially if your roof is on the older side and has seen better days.
- Make sure your gutters are always free of debris like leaves, twigs, and other particles. Your gutters are your house’s first line of defense against rainwater—that’s why they are there. They were incorporated to direct rainwater away from your home, and they exist to help prevent mold, rot, and other rain-related issues. If they are clogged with debris, they can’t do their job of channeling water efficiently. Make a habit of keeping your gutters clear, especially if you’re expecting a storm to come.
- If you have a chimney, consider having the masonry undergo a waterproofing process to keep water out.
Re-seal your doors and windows
The two other parts of your home that you need to check thoroughly are the places where water can come in—the doors and windows. If they are improperly or poorly sealed, they can end up leaking a lot of water (and extreme heat or cold—depending on the season) into your home. There are plenty of materials you can use for proper insulation, like foam tape, weatherstripping, rigid foam, and caulk. Do some research on the best type of item you can use to seal the flaws to ensure that your home will remain cozy and dry during any storm or extreme weather that may come your way.
Check the basement constantly
Another part of your home that you need to prepare for the rainy season is your basement, especially if you live in an area prone to flooding. One of the best things you can do for your home is hiring a professional who can help assess if your basement has structural weak spots, leaks, and other potentially big risk factors that could endanger your home. Other problems that professionals can identify for you are electrical damage, mold, and mildew—issues that floods or heavy rains can exacerbate.
Mind the trees around your home
If you have trees in and around your property, make sure that they are well-kept and that you get rid of dead branches before heavy rains come. Not many homeowners know that one of the biggest causes of preventable property damage in the United States is fallen trees and dead tree limbs, so you might want to trim your trees properly before heavy rainstorms come. As long as you keep your trees and bushes well-maintained, you help prevent significant damage to your home in the event of a severe storm and heavy winds.
Consider planting a rain garden
Another way you can protect your home from the negative effects of heavy rains is by planting a rain garden. Rain gardens are a sunken site in your yard that collects rainwater and allows it to be absorbed into the ground. True to its name, rain gardens are often planted with flowers and grasses, making it not just a convenient way to direct rainwater but a beautiful solution as well. It will help reduce the runoff in your property, all while adding aesthetic value to your yard and filtering out the pollutants in the runoff to help give shelter and food for creatures like songbirds, butterflies, and other wildlife in your area.
Final Thoughts
To be a responsible homeowner is to have the foresight and initiative to address problems before they become bigger down the line. It is also up to us to maintain the value of our home, if not to increase it during our stay. Protect your home from the rainy season and enjoy the peace that comes with knowing that you did all you can to minimize the negative impact of heavy rains on your home.