Rainwater can damage your home. Here is how to protect it.

Rainwater can damage your home and cause expensive problems if correct measures are not taken on time. Learn more abouut how to protect your home.

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Spring is perhaps the most anticipated season of the year. With the warmer weather, colourful flowers, and longer days it's truly a relief when February is finally over.

But if there is anything that can ruin the spring excitement, it's heavy rain and storms. There is nothing more discouraging than a leaking roof, or damp walls after a weekend-long rainfall. To prevent unfortunate situations you need to be able to foresee the potential issues, and take precautions on time. As experts in delivering emergency home repairs, we have gathered some useful advice for you.

Of course, emergency breakdowns are sometimes inevitable, and burst pipes and blocked drains sometimes can be beyond our control. To give you peace of mind in such situations we created Care Club. With our variety of home maintenance cover plans it's up to you to decide which one is perfect for your household.

Here are some common household issues, which may arise after a heavy rainfall, so make sure you read carefully:

Roof problems.

Your roof is the front line of defence against unpredictable weather conditions. This means that especially after the winter the defence can be weakened, and you should be on the lookout for cracks, soft spots, loose shingles or growing mould. Damp spot on the ceiling is also a dead giveaway of a leaking roof. Make sure to book a roof inspection with a specialist as early as possible in the spring.

Blocked gutters.

Your gutters can overfill with gunk and debris through the winter, and overflow once the first spring rains hit. Water running down your exterior walls can cause mould problems and foundation issues. Read our article on how to spring-clean your gutters.

Dangerous electricity.

It is common knowledge that electricity and water should not mix. If you're expecting heavy rain/ floods make sure to stay away from the fuse box, ensure that sockets are covered and turned off and if the situation looks really bad -bring electrical appliances on the second floor.

Foundation issues.

Rainwater gathering around your foundations, can be absorbed in the ground and crack the foundations. This happens because as rainwater causes the soil to expand. However, once the rain is gone, and the ground dries out the soil will shrink and leave cracks, or even bigger chasms in which your house can sink. If cracks are formed, water can leak into your basement and cause dampness and mould, as well as attract termites and carpenter ants. This can be prevented by keeping your gutters clean, and having at least five feet of a downward slope, leading water away from the foundations.

Rotting wood and mould.

If the flashing of your roof becomes damaged, the continued exposure to water will cause the wood to rot and mould to develop. Additionally, if your home was constructed before 1920 it might not have cavity walls, which means that rain can directly be absorbed through the walls and black mould spores will appear inside. If your wall does have cavity walls it's still important to keep your gutters clean, and regularly inspect your external walls for cracks, so water doesn't run down the walls, as it can rust the wall ties.

Damaged tools.

Rain water can cause damage to power tools and lawn maintenance equipment. Before the rains hit, check the roof of your shed, and store the tools and equipment off the ground.

Once your home is protected, the spring rain can be really calming and relaxing, so grab a cuppa and enjoy it behind a closed window.