Home security systems in the 21st century are no longer just burglar alarms. Thanks to a combination of new sensors and 24-hour monitoring, you can utilize a home security system to protect yourself against a number of additional threats. Flooding is but one of them.
Investigate a customized Vivint home security system and you will discover that flood monitoring can be part of the package. And by the way, Vivint is not alone here. Almost every home security company these days offers flood monitoring. The question is whether or not it is a worthwhile investment.
Do you have a home security system? If so, there are some very legitimate reasons you might want to add flood monitoring to your current package.
You Live in a Floodplain
Flood monitoring obviously won’t prevent floodwaters from going where they want to go. The point of flood monitoring is to let you know as quickly as possible when water enters your home. The sooner you know, the sooner you can take preventative measures to limit the damage. Such measures are critical if you live in a floodplain.
Floodplains are areas known to suffer from frequent flooding. You know that from experience. You also know that there are certain times of the year when floodwaters can rise unexpectedly. Such scenarios are specifically what flood monitoring is for.
Spring is Dicey in Your Area
Your house might not be located in the floodplain yet, at the same time, every spring brings worries of inundation. Flood monitoring might be appropriate for you for the simple fact that spring flood prevention has you on your toes as soon as you see the snow beginning to melt.
Flood monitoring in your case would be just as beneficial as if you lived in a floodplain. It will alert you to water seeping into your home, thus allowing you to respond as quickly as possible.
You Live in an Older Home
Flood monitoring might be appropriate for you even if your house is rarely in danger of flooding. How so? Well, perhaps you live in an older home. Maybe your home was built in the early 1900s on a stone or brick foundation. Older foundations are subject to seepage – even if they have been treated with waterproofing materials.
Older homes also have older plumbing systems to worry about. And if your water heater is more than 10 years old, the risk of tank failure increases with every passing year.
Adding flood monitoring to your security system will give you early warning should a pipe burst or your water tank fail. It will let you know if foundation seepage has suddenly given way to direct inundation. And just as in the other two scenarios, early warning is key to minimizing the damage.
Don’t Stop at Flood Monitoring
While you ponder the three scenarios discussed in this post, you might want to also think about going above and beyond mere flood monitoring. For instance, you might want to seriously consider flood insurance. Flood insurance exists because standard homeowners’ policies do not cover floods.
One thing you can do to help keep water out of your house is to properly manage the exterior of your home. That means keeping gutters and downspouts running clearly. It means building up the soil so that water runs away from your house.
No single strategy can prevent all types of flooding. But with the right combination of strategies, you can prevent some floods and minimize the damage of others. Flood monitoring might be a strategy that works well for your property.