3 min read
The holidays are approaching quickly and those of us in the Fox Valley region are making plans. If your plan is to spend the holidays out of town or you intend to be a snowbird and have an extended stay somewhere warm for the season, we at Restoration 1 of Fox Valley have a few helpful tips to make sure you return home to no surprises.
Make sure you have a friend or neighbor check your home on a regular basis. An unoccupied home is most at risk. Checkups can limit damage. Many insurance policies require you to have your home checked at a regular interval. If not checked your insurance company may deny your claim.
Bookmark Restoration 1 of Fox Valley in your phone: 630-345-8678 or restoration1.com/fox-valley. If your neighbor calls with a problem, call us. We can limit the damage while you are away.
Shut of water at the main valve in the house. Then open a faucet at the lowest level of the home. This will relieve the pressure in the water line a limit the potential causes for most water damage incidents link a broken supply line, burst pipe, or froze spigot on the exterior of the house. Shut faucet when the water is drained. It won’t limit them all, as your water heater could burst. However, it would only limit the water to the size of the water heater instead of constantly running until discovered.
Remember to keep your furnace on, and at a temperature of 60-65 degrees. Your water lines are drained, so pipes should not freeze and burst. 60-65 degrees will keep the finished building materials from contracting and causing joints in your trim to expand and show cracks.
Ice damming is a destructive winter phenomenon. As the warmth in the hose escapes thru your roof and the sunshine melts the snow on your roof and it refreezes. That continuous cycle results in a ledge of ice where your roof meets your gutters. As it builds up, water starts to back up on your roof and enters the home. Have a roofer’s number handy for ice removal and repairs. Call Restoration 1 of Fox Valley to dry out the affected area before mold activates.
Remember that even with all of precautions above water could still find its way into your home through a failed sump pump, burst water heater or insufficient drainage and grading of your property.
If you should have any questions on the info above or incur Water Damage, need sewage clean-up, suffer fire or smoke damage, or have a pesky mold problem gives us a call. We will assess the damage free of charge, provide direction and a solution to return your house to a home.
A blessed Thanksgiving, Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah to all our friends in the Fox Valley.
From all of us at Restoration 1 of Fox Valley
