There’s nothing more exciting than that annual vacation you take with the family or friends. It’s something everyone looks forward to every year and it becomes an inseparable tradition in your life — whether you end up going somewhere you’ve never been or the same place each year.
Due to the excitement that’s built over this trip, it’s completely understandable that you would be in a hurry to get in that car or board that plane. It’s one of the biggest reasons why so many people end up forgetting to pack certain items — something you don’t realize until it’s too late.
Forgetting to pack an extra pair of shoes or your phone charger is one thing — after all, you can always buy one in the airport or when you land. With that said, you don’t want to make the same mistake when preparing your home and preventing it from water and fire damage while away.
Anything you forget in this regard will likely be on your mind the entire trip, which will only take away from the excitement and enjoyable nature of your vacation. Don’t worry, we’re going to share with you some of the most prominent things to remember before you pack up and leave.
How to Prevent Water Damage While Traveling
Living in Denver means you’ll be dealing with a wide range of weather conditions throughout the year. Because of this, homeowners in the Denver area need to be prepared for the inevitable when it comes to water damage. These situations can go from bad to worse extremely quickly.
Some of the most prominent culprits of water damage include broken or leaking pipes, faulty appliances, rainfall, snow, clogged gutters, flooding, blocked drains, sprinkler issues and condensation from your air conditioning unit. These are some of the things you need to keep in mind before traveling.
To ensure your home is well-protected from water damage — as well as mold damage — while you’re on vacation, here are some important tips to consider while you pack your things!
1. Clean Your Gutters
This is something you’ll have to save a little time for in your day, but cleaning your gutters goes a long way in helping prevent water damage. If your gutters aren’t cleared, it could result in water puddling and pooling up on your roof. Eventually, it’ll find its way inside the walls of your home.
As you can likely imagine, water isn’t welcome here and if you’re not around to fix it in a timely manner, mold can start to form. To prevent this, clean those gutters and clear your downspouts.
2. Elevate Your Valuables
Floods can happen at any time of the year. Sometimes they’re due to a large leak inside the home, while other times it’s due to the weather conditions outside the home. Either way, that water can quickly make its way throughout the home and damage all your valuable belongings.
To prevent this, it might be a good idea to elevate your most valuable belongings — especially those that are sitting on the floor. That way, the water won’t be able to get to them during a flood.
3. Turn Off the Main Water Supply
Unless you plan on running your sprinkler system or need to give someone access to the hose for your garden, you can consider turning off the main water supply line to your home. It ensures running water doesn’t have an opportunity to wreak havoc on your home while you’re away.
Doing so will prevent a majority of the catastrophic occurrences of water damage in the home. After you turn it off, test that you did it correctly by turning on a faucet and seeing if there’s water.
4. Have a Neighbor Check In Daily
Whether you plan on being gone for a few days, a week, or even a month, you should always have someone that’s willing to check in on your home daily — especially if you have pets or a garden to tend to. This can be a family member, a family friend, or a friendly and willing neighbor.
Even in the event of a tragedy or a sign of water damage, this person will be able to notify you before it becomes a bigger problem — that way, you aren’t walking home to a nasty surprise.
How to Prevent Fire Damage While Traveling
Now that you’ve taken the necessary measures when preventing water damage while on your trip — as well as a much-dreaded call to a water damage restoration company in Denver — it’s time to ensure your home is protected from fire damage, which is just as important.
Much like water damage, fire damage can happen at any time and without warning. Some of the most common causes of fire damage are faulty wiring, electrical equipment, heating appliances, outlets, and lighting fixtures — as well as cooking and smoking, but that shouldn’t be an issue.
Here are some of the things you should do before leaving on your trip to protect your home from fire damage:
1. Test Your Smoke Alarms
Before you leave on vacation, you should always test the fire and smoke alarms throughout the home to ensure they’re functioning properly. Although you won’t be home to hear them, they’re usually loud enough for a neighbor to hear if they ever go off — if you have nearby neighbors.
That’s also why it’s a good idea to notify your neighbors that you’ll be gone, that way they know to keep an eye (or ear) out for it.
2. Beware of Faulty Wiring
You should never leave on vacation without first doing a thorough walkthrough of your home to ensure your wiring and outlets are functioning properly. Keep an eye out for damaged wiring and discoloration in your outlets because these could be signs of a potential fire (and damage).
In the event you notice something that doesn’t look right, make sure you get it fixed before you leave, that way it doesn’t become a problem.
3. Unplug Unnecessary Appliances
Since you won’t be home, you won’t need to use any of the appliances throughout your home. This is a good time to unplug anything not in use, even the things that will be turned off. Unplugging it is an extra step, but it goes a long way in preventing a tragic surprise.
With that said, you should never turn off the electrical power to your entire home. There are some things that will need power while you’re gone.
Did You Come Home to a Tragic Surprise?
Going on vacation is a wonderful thing, but sometimes that vacation is met with a tragic surprise when you arrive home. If this is something you’ve recently had to deal with, don’t panic — you’re not alone and we’re here to help. At Restoration1 of Central Denver, we care about your home.
If you need friendly, trustworthy, and experienced fire or water damage restoration in Denver, CO, contact us today and we’ll send someone out to your location immediately. We can’t wait to help you find peace and solace in this difficult time of need.
