Many homeowners are devastated to find water damage, which can ruin your most prized possessions, cause mold-related health problems, and lead to structural damage to your home. Water damage can cause hundreds if not thousands of dollars worth of expenses with the destruction it brings. Heavy rains, natural disasters, and even a simple flooding can seriously affect your home.

Although we cannot control the weather, we can control how prepared we are for it. Even if you are not expecting any large amounts of water to come your way any time soon, simple rain showers can damage your home if it is not properly maintained. Here are three things you can do to make sure that your home is always protected against water damage.

Keep An Eye On Your Gutters
Rain gutters are meant to keep rain water away from your house. If they are not in good shape, you can pretty much count on water damage to your siding, foundation, walls, and landscaping. To prevent this, your gutters should always be cleaned out. Clogged gutters are the number one leading cause of water problems in basements because clogged gutters cannot move water to storm drains. Regardless of the material, steel gutters or aluminum gutters, they need to be taken care of for this reason. Residential gutter installation is available for those gutters that are too far gone.

Where Do You Plant Your Trees and Gardens?
Believe it or not, the roots of your plants can be causing water problems. If the roots of your trees or plants are too close to certain structures, they can wrap around them and cause damage. Roots can and will affect sprinkler systems, drainage fields, pipes, and septic tanks. Think about location before you plant your garden or hedgerow.

Do You Know How Much Your Water Bill Is?
Water bills need to be monitored. They can show you the first signs of water problems in your home before you can even see them. There are dozens of pipes and water lines in your home that are hidden behind walls and in the floors. If there was a water leak, you probably would not notice for a long time, if at all. Your water bill will most likely spike if excess water is pouring out of them.

Preventing water damage can be easily if you know the right tricks. Keep your gutters clean, and take advantage of residential gutter installation if they need to be replaced. Keep an eye on your water bill and your plants’ root systems to keep your home water damage free.