Believe it or not, Spring is just around the corner. If you ever experience problems with water in your basement, here are a few tips in order to ensure you stay nice and dry this spring!

1. Get rid of snow around your foundation – especially around/under window wells.

2. Extend your downspouts away from your home/foundation, and clear them of any snow/ice debris.

3. Clear your roof/eavestroughs of snow/ice debris, or leftover leaves from the fall that may cause blockages. You can hire professionals to do this for you if you are unable to do it yourself!

4. Contrary to what some may think, keep the snow in your yard. Moving the snow onto streets or back lanes could actually block the drains/sewers.

5. Help keep the sewers clean around your property. If you see any ice, snow, or debris blocking the drainage systems, remove it!

And of course, take caution when working around and on your home with snow and ice, it can be slippery and dangerous. So now lets just be happy knowing this winter is almost over! And with a water free basement, Spring will be even that much more enjoyable.

If you have a newer water heater, chances are it is properly insulated.

Have an older water heater?

If you touch your water heater, and it is warm to the touch, this means you probably could use additional insulation to help improve energy efficiency – and save you money!

How do you insulate your water heater?

Well many home improvement stores will sell a “Water Heater Blanket” which is a large piece of insulation that you cut to size after measuring your water heater. After cutting it down to size – wrap it around your water heater and mark off where any controls are sticking out, then remove the wrap and cut out the holes. You should leave about a 2 inch clear cutout around the controls, so you may have to test your blanket a few times before you get the right fit, and then you simply tape it into place.

Of course – like any product – just follow the manufacturer instructions clearly - and voila – you can now begin to save money on your hot water bill, and reduce stand by heat loss by 25-50%!