How to prevent sewer back ups and basement flooding

We are in a day and age where we are getting more sewer backup and basement flood losses.  No one wants damage in their basement, especially sewer water. Not only can it wreak chaos on your home and cause thousands of dollars of damaged furniture, floors and electrical malfunctions, it can also be a health hazard to you and your family. Some of us think that the older our home/neighbourhood is, the more we get sewer back up/basement flooding – I don’t think so. Right now, the evidence seems to indicate that we get this problem where it rains the hardest.There’s a need to address this problem to prevent the impact to our home.  Here are some things you can do:- Extend your downspouts away from your home. You can use gutter extenders to redirect water to the minimum secure distance.- Re-examine the rest of your property to ensure the flow of surface water doesn’t get to the foundation of your home and your neighbour’s.- Ensure all gutters are clean. Once clogged, it can cause water spilling over the side, down the walls and seep into your home.- Install a sump pump, especially if you live in a high-risk area. You need to test this every year to ensure it works properly.- and, Purchase sewer back up coverage from your insurance company.I had a conversation with one of my clients regarding sewer back coverage and she never believed she needs it. She firmly said, “it’s never happened to me and I’ve lived here for 40 years. Also the house is located on the higher part of our neighbourhood.” As a broker, I’ve explained to her why this is important and I’m glad she didn’t take that off her policy. So on the night of July 8th, when we had that bad storm, she called me in the morning to report that her basement was flooded and she didn’t know how to fix the situation.I advised her of the following:- Arrange a clean-up immediately. You need to seek out professional help and take whatever steps it takes to minimize the extent of your loss- Mop floors and wipe walls with soap and disinfectant- Steam clean or remove wet carpets or drapes- Contact your broker right awayRemember that sewer back up coverage is optional on a homeowner’s policy. And this will provide you coverage to a loss/damage caused by water entering your property as a result of an accidental escape of water from sewer, sump, drain, eavestrough, downspout or from melting ice/snow on the exterior of the roof. There will be exclusions though under this coverage and it varies from one insurance company to the other so be sure to ask!Because we don’t know when we will have heavy rain – you need to be prepared. A simple tip: Make a list of all your items and their values currently sitting in your basement; include receipts or proof of purchase for larger items. This can save you a lot of time figuring what you lost when the unfortunate happens!