Water, Water Everywhere—But Not a Drop Inside

Proactive caulking, sandbags, and other preventive measures will keep rainwater or ice melt from entering your home.

Simple preventative measures can keep rainwater and melting snow or ice from finding their way indoors. Willowpix/Getty Images

Dramatic floods may make the news, but water can enter the home through ice dams on the roof, driving winter rains, and sewer backups. Rather than paying the insurance deductible for repairs, let’s use that money for proactive measures.

Start by heading off any storm-caused leaks by sealing gaps, cracks, holes, and crevices with high-quality caulk or a foam sealant appropriate for your home’s exterior, whether that’s wood, vinyl, cement board, or stucco. Those in temperate locations can buff up this protection even more by painting the house with a flexible, waterproof elastomeric coating. Northerners may need to wait until next spring to paint, but there are other preemptive measures that can be taken now.

Rising Water

Not all floods happen in flood zones. Flooding can occur whenever rainwater runs toward the house without being diverted into drainage.